countersignature

countersignature — noun

1. A second signature that is added to a document to confirm that the first signatu

1.nounC1
Definition

A second signature that is added to a document to confirm that the first signature is genuine and that the document has been officially approved.

Example

The contract required a countersignature from the company's legal director before it could take effect.

countersignature + from + [authority] required for validity

The bank refused to process the loan agreement without the manager's countersignature on the final page.

countersignature + on + [document] needed for processing

Common collocations
  • add a countersignature
  • provide a countersignature
  • obtain a countersignature
  • require a countersignature
  • bear a countersignature
  • lack a countersignature
  • countersignature on a document
  • countersignature from an officer
  • without the required countersignature
Synonyms
  • endorsement

    Broader term; can mean any public expression of support, not only a signature on a document

  • authorisation

    Focuses on the act of granting permission; may or may not involve a physical signature

  • validation

    Focuses on the act of checking and confirming correctness; can be done through stamps, seals, or digital approval, not necessarily a handwritten signature

Grammar Patterns

countersignature + on + [document]

countersignature + from + [person/authority]

Usage Note

Frequently used in legal, banking, and official administrative contexts. The person who provides the countersignature is usually a supervisor or authority figure who confirms the signer's identity and the document's validity. Often found in the pattern 'bear/require/add + a countersignature + from [person] + on [document]'.

Common Mistakes

I need your countersignature to sign this document.
I need your countersignature on this document.
The preposition 'on' specifies which document is being countersigned.
She put her countersignature under the contract.
She added her countersignature to the contract.
The verb 'add' and preposition 'to' are the conventional collocations.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words relate to confirming the genuineness or authority of a document, but they differ in scope and use. Countersignature is the most specific: it always refers to a second handwritten signature added directly to a document to confirm the first signer's identity. Endorsement is broader — it can mean a signature on the back of a cheque or a public statement of support for a person or product (e.g. a celebrity endorsement). Authorisation focuses on the permission itself, not the act of signing; it can be given verbally or electronically. Validation can be done with a stamp, a digital certificate, or a verbal confirmation — no signature is required. Countersign (often used as a verb or, less commonly, as a noun) means the same act as countersignature but is less formal: 'Please countersign the form here.' In formal legal or banking contexts, countersignature is the preferred noun form.

countersignature ↗endorsement ↗authorisation ↗validation ↗countersign ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • bear a countersignature
  • require a countersignature
  • add a countersignature
  • lacking the required countersignature

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Countersignature is formed from the prefix counter- (meaning 'against, in return, confirming' — from Latin contra 'against, opposite') and the noun signature (from Latin signatura 'a marking, a signing', from signare 'to mark, to sign'). The term entered English legal and financial usage in the late 1600s, reflecting the practice of having a second authorised person confirm the identity of the first signatory and the validity of the document.