When an unemployed person signs on, they officially inform the authorities that they are unemployed, so that they can receive money from thegovernment in order to live.
[British]
He has signed on at the job centre. [VERBPARTICLE preposition]
I had to sign on the dole on Monday. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
See full dictionary entry for sign
sign on in British English
verb(adverb)
1. (transitive)
to hire or employ
2. (intransitive)
to commit oneself to a job, activity, etc
3. (intransitive) British
to register as unemployed
sign on in American English
a.
to employ; hire
b.
to bind oneself to work, as by signing a contract
He signed on as a pitcher with a major-league team
c.
to start radio or television broadcasting, esp. at the beginning of the day
d. Computing 1"> log1 (sense 17a)
See full dictionary entry for sign
Examples of 'sign on' in a sentence
sign on
There was no sign on the verge, nothing to indicate that someone lived at the end of the narrow trail.
Mark Mills AMAGANSETT (2004)
It was Pete who spotted a small sign on a white wooden gate that led through the hedge.
Arthur, Robert THREE IN ONE
The rest of the upper floor was also empty with a `To let " sign on the window.
Lawson, Jonell ROSES ARE FOR THE RICH
In other languages
sign on
British English: sign on /saɪn ɒn/ VERB
In the UK, when an unemployed person signs on, they officially inform the authorities that they are unemployed, so that they can receive money from the government in order to live.
He has signed on at the job centre.
American English: sign on
Arabic: يُخْبِرُ الـحُكُومَةَ بِبَاطِلِه
Brazilian Portuguese: solicitar seguro-desemprego
Chinese: 申请失业救济
Croatian: uzimati socijalnu pomoć
Czech: hlásit se na úřadu práce jako nezaměstnaný
Danish: melde sig ledig
Dutch: registreren
European Spanish: alistarse
Finnish: ilmoittautua työttömäksi
French: s’engager
German: arbeitslos melden (sich)
Greek: εγγράφομαι σε μητρώο ανέργων
Italian: iscriversi
Japanese: 失業登録をする
Korean: 실업 등록하다
Norwegian: anmelde
Polish: zaangażować
European Portuguese: inscrever subsídio de desemprego
Romanian: a anunța statul că este șomerpentru a primi șomajul