Cosigners

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals who jointly sign a document, often taking mutual responsibility for the obligations within it
2. Individuals who agree to back a loan or contract by signing their names alongside the main borrower, sharing the risk
3. Persons who support an agreement or financial commitment by providing their signatures, thereby ensuring accountability and agreement

Etymology: "Cosigners" is the plural of "cosigner", a word built from simple English parts: the prefix "co-", meaning "together with" or "jointly", attached to "signer", a person who signs. A cosigner is therefore someone who signs alongside another person, sharing the same obligation under the same document. The "co-" element is the key to the meaning. It makes the sense of joint action explicit: each cosigner adds a signature to a shared promise, and in many loan and lease agreements that means each one is equally answerable if the terms are not met. The plural simply names the whole group who have put their names to the same agreement.

Synonyms: co-signers, endorsers, guarantors, signatories, partners