sign-off

sign-off — phrasal verb

1. to write a closing phrase at the end of a letter, email, or message before addin

1.phrasal verbB1
Definition

to write a closing phrase at the end of a letter, email, or message before adding your name

Example

Apinya signed off her letter with 'All the best' before putting it in the envelope.

sign off + [letter/email] + with [phrase]

For formal emails, Lauren always signs off with 'Best regards' followed by her full name.

Common collocations
  • sign off with [sincerely/regards/love]
  • sign off a letter/an email
Synonyms
  • close

    more general; 'close a letter' means reaching the end without specifying the phrasing

  • end

    simpler and less specific than 'sign off'

Usage Note

Common in British English with phrases like 'Yours sincerely' (formal) or 'All the best' (semi-formal).

Common Mistakes

She signed off the letter.
She signed off the letter with cheers.
'sign off' in this sense needs 'with' to name the closing phrase.
He signed off the email saying goodbye.
He signed off the email with a friendly goodbye.
use 'with' to introduce the closing phrase.

2. to bring a television or radio show to a close, typically with a farewell or a f

2.phrasal verbB1
Definition

to bring a television or radio show to a close, typically with a farewell or a final piece of music

Example

The late-night DJ signed off at two in the morning with a slow jazz track.

sign off + at [time] + with [song/music]

Before the station signs off for the night, the announcer thanks the listeners.

Common collocations
  • sign off with [song/phrase]
  • sign off for the night
Synonyms
Antonyms

Usage Note

Before TV and radio stations had 24-hour programming, 'signing off' meant the station would go off the air until morning.

Common Mistakes

The DJ signed off with a song on the radio.' (Wordy.)
The DJ signed off with a slow jazz track.
omit 'on the radio' unless needed for context.

3. to mark a plan, document, or project as officially accepted by adding your signa

3.phrasal verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to mark a plan, document, or project as officially accepted by adding your signature

Example

The finance director signed off on the new equipment budget after a long review.

sign off on [budget/proposal/plan]

Before construction can begin, the city council must sign off on the building plans.

Common collocations
  • sign off on a plan/proposal/budget
  • sign off on a project
Synonyms
  • approve

    more general; 'approve' does not emphasise the physical signing act

  • authorise

    more formal; suggests the person has the official power to say yes

  • rubber-stamp

    informal, negative: to approve without proper review

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

sign off on [plan/project/document]

Usage Note

Usually followed by 'on' to state what is being approved ('sign off on the proposal'). The person who signs off is typically in a position of authority.

Common Mistakes

The director signed off the budget.
The director signed off on the budget.
the preposition 'on' is required in this sense.
I need the manager to sign off the form.
I need the manager to sign off on the form.
same rule: always 'sign off on [something]'.

sign-off — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: phrasal verb/3

These words all mean giving agreement, but 'sign off on' specifically involves a signature or final go-ahead from a person in authority. 'Approve' is the most general and can be informal ('I approve of your plan'). 'Authorise' implies official power to permit something ('the manager authorised the payment'). 'Endorse' often means public support or recommendation ('the senator endorsed the candidate'). 'Rubber-stamp' is informal and negative — it means approving automatically without proper review ('the committee just rubber-stamped the proposal'). Use 'sign off on' when someone formally marks a document or decision as final — for example, 'the safety officer signed off on the inspection report before the factory reopened.'

approve ↗authoriseendorse ↗rubber-stamp

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

'Sign off' originated in early 20th-century radio broadcasting, where a station would literally sign off the air by closing its transmission. The phrase combined 'sign' (from Latin 'signare', to mark with a sign) with 'off' (indicating separation or cessation). By the mid-1900s, the expression had expanded from radio into two other areas: letter-writing (adding a closing signature) and business (formally approving documents by signing them).