signifier

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Kafka died of tuberculosis in 1924 at age 40, he was virtually unknown; by the late 1930s he was an international phenomenon, his surname a signifier of bureaucratic inhumanity and modern unease.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

A statement from trust said it had already implemented a programme of "signifier change".

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

It’s a powerful signifier of childhood for a generation of middle class, eco-conscious millennials, like myself, who once thought saving the Earth was as easy as sharing a bowl of Python Pasta.

From Slate • Nov. 30, 2024

This inverted perception: Where status once begot the signifier, the signifier now begot the status.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2024

With every step on those cracked sidewalks, I passed a new signifier of urban decay.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore