Editing Sign (section)

{{Short description|Entity whose presence indicates the probable existence of something else}}
{{other uses}}

[[File:Biohazard.svg|thumb|[[Biohazard]] sign with a conventional symbol having no inherent relationship to what it represents]]
[[File:Big Foot (6225546731).jpg|thumb|A natural sign in the environment indicating recent human activity]]
A '''sign''' is an [[Physical object|object]], [[quality (philosophy)|quality]], event, or [[Non-physical entity|entity]] whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else.<ref>New Oxford American Dictionary</ref> A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, [[thunder]] is a sign of storm, or medical [[symptom]]s a sign of disease. A [[Convention (norm)|conventional]] sign signifies by agreement, as a [[full stop]] signifies the end of a sentence; similarly the words and expressions of a [[language]], as well as bodily [[gesture]]s, can be regarded as signs, expressing particular [[Meaning (linguistics)|meanings]]. The [[Physical body|physical objects]] most commonly referred to as signs (notices, [[road sign]]s, etc., collectively known as [[signage]]) generally inform or instruct using [[written text]], [[symbol]]s, [[picture]]s or a combination of these.
 
The [[Philosophy|philosophical]] study of signs and [[symbol]]s is called [[semiotics]]; this includes the study of [[semiosis]], which is the way in which [[sign (semiotics)|signs (in the semiotic sense)]] operate.