sign on

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle on

Usefulness

Meanings

1

Authenticate into a service

Why “on”? A device starts working, a session or event begins, or a condition starts to develop.

Sign on with your work credentials.
Enter your work login details to access the service.
I could not sign on because I had forgotten my password.
I could not access the service because I had forgotten my password.

Don't confuse with

sign onsign up

Sign on means authenticate into a service. Sign up means officially register for a course, service or membership.

Test yourself

Sign on with your work credentials. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

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Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “sign on”.

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