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Glite Dictionary
sign manual

sign manual

9.9
The written name of a king or queen on an official document showing personal approval
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : firma real
  • The royal decree bore the sign manual of the queen herself.

Examples

  • The ambassador presented a letter with the king's sign manual as proof of authenticity.

  • No law was enacted without the sign manual attached to the document.

  • The king's sign manual was required for the new law.

  • She received a document with the sign manual of the queen.

  • No law was enacted without the sign manual attached to the document.

  • The ambassador presented a letter with the king's sign manual as proof of authenticity.

  • The royal decree bore the sign manual of the queen herself.

Synonyms

endorsement
vssign manual
  • Specialized
33 5.5

A signature on a document like a check that lets someone deposit or cash it

is a personal royal signature that shows approval rather than legal validation
John Hancock
vssign manual
  • Informal
7 4.5

A person's signature written when asked to sign

is the formal royal handwritten approval rather than an informal personal name
indorsement
vssign manual
  • Archaic
7.6

A written signature or note showing approval on a document like a check

is the sovereign's personal approval used on official state documents

Surface Forms

sign manual singular
sign manuals plural

Morphology

sign + manual

The sense 'the sovereign's signature' cannot be derived from 'sign' (to affix a signature) plus 'manual' (a booklet of instructions): modern English 'manual' denotes a handbook, not 'hand' or 'by hand', so the compound's meaning is historically specialized and non-compositional. As an archaic, legal term whose semantic unit is lexicalized, a B1 learner knowing the parts would likely not infer the intended meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrase sign manual comes from the idea of a ruler such as a king or queen signing with their own hand: sign and manual, meaning 'hand', show the document has the ruler's personal, handwritten approval. So sign manual means the ruler's own 'signature' that proves they personally approved the document.