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View synonyms for

symbol

[sim-buhl]

noun

  1. something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign.

  2. a letter, figure, or other character or mark or a combination of letters or the like used to designate something.

    the algebraic symbol x; the chemical symbol Au.

  3. (especially in semiotics) a word, phrase, image, or the like having a complex of associated meanings and perceived as having inherent value separable from that which is symbolized, as being part of that which is symbolized, and as performing its normal function of standing for or representing that which is symbolized: usually conceived as deriving its meaning chiefly from the structure in which it appears, and generally distinguished from a sign.



verb (used with object)

symboled, symboling , symbolled, symbolling .
  1. to use symbols; symbolize.

symbol

/ ˈɪə /

noun

  1. something that represents or stands for something else, usually by convention or association, esp a material object used to represent something abstract

  2. an object, person, idea, etc, used in a literary work, film, etc, to stand for or suggest something else with which it is associated either explicitly or in some more subtle way

  3. a letter, figure, or sign used in mathematics, science, music, etc to represent a quantity, phenomenon, operation, function, etc

  4. psychoanal the end product, in the form of an object or act, of a conflict in the unconscious between repression processes and the actions and thoughts being repressed

    the symbols of dreams

  5. psychol any mental process that represents some feature of external reality

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) another word for symbolize

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

symbol

  1. A conventional, printed or written figure used to represent an operation, element, quantity, relation, unit of measurement, phenomenon, or descriptor.

  2. Also called sign

symbol

1
  1. An object or name that stands for something else, especially a material thing that stands for something that is not material. The bald eagle is a symbol of the United States of America. The cross is a symbol of Christianity. The Star of David is a symbol of Judaism.

symbol

2
  1. Something that represents or suggests something else. Symbols often take the form of words, visual images, or gestures that are used to convey ideas and beliefs. All human cultures use symbols to express the underlying structure of their social systems, to represent ideal cultural characteristics, such as beauty, and to ensure that the culture is passed on to new generations. Symbolic relationships are learned rather than biologically or naturally determined, and each culture has its own symbols.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of symbol1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin symbolum, from Greek ýDZDz “sign,” equivalent to sym- sym- ( def. ) + -bolon, neuter for DZḗ (feminine) “a throw, stroke, glance, blow”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of symbol1

C15: from Church Latin symbolum, from Greek sumbolon sign, from sumballein to throw together, from syn- + ballein to throw
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Idioms and Phrases

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Shoemaking has become a symbol of these changes.

From

He was a blue-collar digger, distinctly a symbol of merit in its latest Trumpian definition.

From

It was widely condemned as extrajudicial murder and became a global symbol of the struggle against environmental injustice and repression.

From

So, she said, she detached the U.S. flag from its pole and hung it upside down — a symbol of distress.

From

It reads: “On behalf of a grateful Congress, this plaque honors the extraordinary individuals who bravely protected and defended this symbol of democracy on January 6, 2021. Their heroism will never be forgotten.”

From

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symbioticsymbolic