signified
part of speech
verb (signify, signifies, signified, signifying — past form); noun (the signified — in the study of language and signs)
meaning for a pupil
1) Signified is the past form of signify: it means showed, meant or stood for. tree →
2) It can mean made known by a sign or action: «She signified that she agreed by nodding.» tree →
3) (formal, language study) The signified is the idea or meaning that a word or sign points to, as opposed to the sound or letters (the signifier). tree →
sense in the lessons
In English lessons it helps say what a symbol, colour or gesture means in a story: «The dark clouds signified danger.» In history it is used for events: «The fall of the wall signified the end of an era.» In language study the word and its idea are called the signifier and the signified. Phrases: signified that, signified the end of, signified agreement.
examples
- The red flag signified that swimming was not safe. tree →
- The bell signified the end of break. tree →
- She signified her agreement with a quick nod. tree →
- In the story, the white dove signified peace. tree →
- The teacher's raised hand signified that we should be quiet. tree →
- The ancient carving signified the sun god. tree →
- (formal) The word «dog» is the signifier; the idea of a dog is the signified. tree →
- The name Palatine, which originally signified a pastoral colony, is derived from this divinity. tree →
note
Signify changes y to i: signify, signifies, signified, but signifying. It is a more formal word for «meant» or «showed». In maths, a symbol «signifies» something: the + sign signifies adding.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «signified» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.