cosign
/ˈkō-ˌsīn/ (ame, mw)
cosign — verb
- cosignpresent simple I / you / we / they
- cosigns3rd person singular
- cosigning-ing form
- cosignedpast simple
1. to put your name on a legal or official paper together with at least one other p
to put your name on a legal or official paper together with at least one other person, showing that you all agree to what the document says
Ola and her brother agreed to cosign the rental agreement for their shared apartment.
cosign + [document] for shared responsibility
Both company directors cosigned the contract after reviewing every clause carefully.
cosign + [contract/agreement] after review
Budi asked his business partner to cosign the application for a new restaurant license.
Before the charity could open its bank account, both founders had to cosign the official forms.
Itai refused to cosign the petition because he disagreed with one of its main demands.
- countersign
more formal; often used for verifying an already-signed document in official or military contexts
- endorse
broader meaning; can mean signing the back of a cheque or publicly supporting something
文法句型
cosign + [document]
cosign + [document] + with + [person]
用法筆記
Unlike 'sign', which a single person can do alone, 'cosign' always involves at least two people signing the same document together.
常見錯誤
2. to sign a loan agreement or rental contract on behalf of someone else, promising
to sign a loan agreement or rental contract on behalf of someone else, promising to pay the money back if that person fails to do so, so that the lender accepts their application
Hassan's parents agreed to cosign his student loan so he could attend university.
cosign + [loan] to help someone qualify
Kavya asked her aunt to cosign the lease for her first apartment in Taipei.
cosign + [lease] for a rental property
Jia needed someone to cosign her car loan because she had just started her first job.
The landlord required a parent to cosign the lease for any student without a steady income.
Pedro warned his cousin that cosigning a loan meant accepting full legal responsibility for the debt.
- default on
the opposite action — failing to pay, which is what the cosigner promises to prevent
文法句型
cosign + [loan/lease]
cosign + for + [person]
cosign + [person]'s + [loan/lease]
用法筆記
The person who cosigns is legally responsible for the entire debt if the main borrower fails to pay. This sense is most common in banking, rental, and loan contexts.
常見錯誤
3. to openly express agreement with a person's idea, plan, or action, thereby givin
to openly express agreement with a person's idea, plan, or action, thereby giving it your visible backing in a public way
Several well-known professors cosigned the open letter opposing the new education policy.
cosign + [open letter/statement] for public endorsement
Lan cosigned her colleague's proposal during the staff meeting and offered to help develop it.
cosign + [proposal] in a meeting context
Yara's friends all cosigned her decision to leave her job and start a small bakery.
The former mayor refused to cosign the candidate's campaign promises, calling some of them unrealistic.
文法句型
cosign + [statement/opinion/decision]
cosign + [person]'s + [decision/plan]
用法筆記
This is a figurative extension of the literal signing sense — you are not actually signing paperwork, but lending your name to support a position. Common in workplace and public discourse.