Meaning of signal in English

signal

noun [ C ]

/ˈsɪɡ.nəl/ us

/ˈsɪɡ.nəl/

signal noun [C] (ACTION)

Add to word list Add to word list

an action, movement, or sound that gives information, a message, a warning, or an order:

When she gave (them) the signal, they all cheered.

[ + that ] The fireworks were a signal that the festival had started.

[ + to infinitive ] The police officer gave us the signal to stop.

The signal for a race to start is often the firing of a gun.

(UK indicator)

a turn signal

sandsun/iStock/Getty Images Plus/GettyImages

More examplesFewer examples

At a prearranged signal, everyone started moving forwards.
I usually set my watch by the time signal on the radio.
At the given signal, the group rushed forward to the barrier.
I've been trying to call him all evening, but I keep getting the engaged signal.
A whistle is the signal for the children to line up ready to go into the classroom.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Signs, signals and symbols

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

The exterior of vehicles

signal noun [C] (WAVE)

a series of electrical or radio waves that are sent to a radio or television in order to produce a sound, picture, or message

Examples

The picture quality is bad because the TV signal isn't powerful enough.
The equipment sent out a regular high-pitched signal.
There is some interference on the signal - do not adjust your set.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Communications - general words

See more results »

signal noun [C] (SHOWING)

something that shows that something else exists or is likely to happen:

The loss is a clear signal of his deteriorating confidence.

The changing colour of the leaves on the trees is a signal that it will soon be autumn.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Signs, signals and symbols

See more results »

signal noun [C] (EQUIPMENT)

equipment, especially on the side of a railway or road, often with lights, that tells drivers to stop, continue, or go more slowly:

a railway signal

a traffic signal

a road signal

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Railways & railway lines

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Roads: lights, signs & markings on roads

signal

verb

/ˈsɪɡ.nəl/ us

/ˈsɪɡ.nəl/

-ll- or US usually -l-

signal verb (ACTION)

C2 [ I or T ]

to make a movement, sound, flash, etc. that gives information or tells people what to do:

Flashing lights on a parked car usually signal a warning (to other drivers).

He signalled left, and turned the lorry slowly.

He was signalling (= giving a signal) with a red flag.

She signalled for help.

[ + that ] She signalled to the cars behind her that they were going the wrong way.

[ + obj + to infinitive ] The children's mother signalled them to be quiet.

[ + to infinitive ] The children's mother signalled to/for them to be quiet.

More examplesFewer examples

She signalled to them to sit down.
The ship signalled for help.
A flashing light signalled that there was danger ahead.
I signalled left and turned into the driveway.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Communicating & keeping in touch

See more results »

signal verb (SHOW)

[ T ]

to show that you intend or are ready to do something:

[ + that ] The union has signalled that the workers will strike.

The union has signalled the workers' intention to strike.

The death of Chairman Mao signalled (= marked) the end of an era in Chinese history.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Signs, signals and symbols

See more results »

signal

adjective [ before noun ]

formal

/ˈsɪɡ.nəl/ us

/ˈsɪɡ.nəl/

noticeable and unusual:

a signal success/failure

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Unique and unusual

See more results »

(Definition of signal from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

signal | American Dictionary

signal

noun [ C ]

/ˈsɪɡ·nəl/

signal noun [C] (ACTION)

Add to word list Add to word list

an action, movement, or sound that gives information, a message, a warning, or an order:

I tried to call but kept getting a busy signal.

When the lieutenant gave the signal, five police officers charged into the apartment.

In retrospect, looking at how she was acting, we should have been able to recognize the danger signals.

A signal is also a device, often with lights, that shows people or vehicles whether to stop, go, or move carefully.

signal noun [C] (WAVE)

a series of energy waves that carry a sound, picture, or other information:

a low-frequency radio signal

signal

adjective

fml

/ˈsɪɡ·nəl/

signal adjective (IMPORTANT)

unusual and important:

You performed a signal service to our people, and we wish to express our gratitude.

signal

verb [ I/T ]

/ˈsɪɡ·nəl/

signal verb [I/T] (MAKE MOVEMENT)

to make a movement, sound, etc. that gives information or tells people what to do:

[ I ] When you learn to drive, you are told that you have to signal before you turn right or left.

[ T ] The police officer signaled us to stop.

(Definition of signal from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

signal | Business English

signal

noun [ C ]

/ˈsɪɡnəl/ us

Add to word list Add to word list

a sign that something is true or that something is going to happen:

a signal to sb It is a signal to the rest of the world that we are serious about global warming.

a clear/strong /important signal

a signal of sth It was a strong signal of the power now wielded by big institutional investors.

mixed/conflicting/contradicting signals

the right/wrong signal

a positive signal

COMMUNICATIONS

a series of electrical or radio waves that are sent to a radio, television, or mobile phone in order to produce a sound, picture, or message:

I couldn't get a signal on my phone.

signal

verb [ T ]

/ˈsɪɡnəl/ us

UK -ll- | US -l-

to show that something is going to happen or that you are going to do something:

Drops in sales signal a tough year ahead.

signal that It recently signalled that it would not stand in the way of a takeover bid.

(Definition of signal from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of signal

signal

Where price signals are distorted we expect to see greater inefficiency and higher levels of pollution.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Lower inflation rates not only lead to clearer pricing signals and better investment decisions by economic agents, but also protect fixed income earners.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

A genitive nominal, on the other hand, signals that the designated thing is not there as a participant of the event in question.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

During morphogenesis.positional information is conveyed to neiboring cells by signaling molecules.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Biased attention to signals of threat or danger are thought to create cognitive distortions through a process of overactivation.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, it is possible that right prefrontal asymmetry results in reduced inhibitory signals toward the amygdala, which would then maintain aversive-related responses.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The physiological context of signaling is mostly sidelined until the last two chapters, which are dedicated to signalling in development.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

On the other hand, discrete emotional signals may convey different information and be processed distinctly.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The countdown task consisted of five trials with two separate conditions: signaled aversion and unsignaled aversion.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Since the frequency of the signals emitted by the baroreceptors is known, this can be done spectrally, if the coupling is linear.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The only temporal information that we are given by the linguistic signals is that, at the time referred to, the situation is in progress.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

If this attempt at signalling works, it does so by means of salience (pp. 158-9).

From the Cambridge English Corpus

If it is, then perhaps they emphasize noise because that might provide the prior signals on which modulatory processes operate.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

One common view is that they increase the salience of relevant signals.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, lower organisms are treated as inferring the internal states of other organisms from overt signals and then responding.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all examples of signal

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.