countersign

views updated Jun 08 2018

coun·ter·sign / ˈkountərˌsīn/ • v. [tr.] add a signature to (a document already signed by another person): each check had to be signed and countersigned.• n. archaic a signal or password given in reply to a soldier on guard.DERIVATIVES: coun·ter·sig·na·ture / ˌkountərˈsignəchər; -ˌchoŏr/ n.

Countersign

views updated May 09 2018

COUNTERSIGN

The inscription of one's name at the end of a writing, done by a secretary or a subordinate, to attest to the fact that such a writing has been signed by a principal or a superior, thereby vouching for the genuineness of the signature. To write one's name at the end of a document—in addition to the inscription of a name by another—to attest to the authenticity of the signature.

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