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Language Foundation

electronic signature

An electronic signature is a person's name, mark, or other symbol in electronic form that a person uses to sign an electronic document.

In plain English

This is the sign a person uses on a digital document. It can be the person's name, a mark, or another symbol, as long as the person uses it to sign.

In context

Here, it requests the person's name, mark, or other symbol in electronic form to sign the document.

Situation
Completing employee onboarding, payroll setup, policies, and mandatory forms
What it communicates
requests a digital signature on the document.

Meaning limits

The term names the signature itself in electronic form, not a separate process for proving who the person is.

Examples

“Mia added her electronic signature to the lease by typing her name at the bottom.”

Core meaning

“The clerk requested an electronic signature on the consent form.”

In context

  • signature Broader Term

    An electronic signature is a kind of signature.

  • electronic authentication Contrast

    This names the sign itself in electronic form, while electronic authentication is about proving who the person is.