Signal Also Means Remarkable
A signal is a sign that conveys information. As an adjective it means notable or striking, which surprises most speakers.
A signal is anything that carries information — a gesture, a light, a radio wave. There is also an adjective that catches people out: a *signal achievement* is not one made with flags but a remarkable one, from the idea of something that stands out enough to be a sign. It survives mostly in formal writing, in phrases like *a signal failure*.
- A sign conveying information. *A hand signal.*
- A transmitted wave. *A weak signal.*
- Verb, to indicate. *She signalled left.*
- Adjective, remarkable. *A signal success.*
- Signal to noise — useful information against interference. *A poor signal-to-noise ratio.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | signal | A distress signal. |
| Verb | signal | Signal before turning. |
| Past | signalled | He signalled twice. |
| Adjective | signal | A signal honour. |
| Root | sign | A road sign. |
- The signal dropped out in the tunnel.Transmission.
- It was a signal failure of judgement.The adjective, formal.
- He signalled his intention to resign.Figurative verb.
Signal, sign, symbol
- Signal — sent deliberately to convey something now
- Sign — anything that stands for something else
- Symbol — a sign whose meaning is agreed by convention
- Signature — the mark that stands for a person
- Signify — to be a sign of
Old French *signal*, from Late Latin *signale*, from *signum*, a sign. The adjective meaning remarkable dates from the 1600s, from the notion of standing out as a sign.
Is signalled spelled with one l or two?
British English doubles it: signalled, signalling. American English usually writes signaled and signaling.
What does a signal achievement mean?
A notable or outstanding one. The adjective has nothing to do with sending signals.