Synonyms

emblematize

American

[em-blem-uh-tahyz] / ɛmˈblɛm əˌtaɪz /

especially British, emblematise

verb (used with object)

emblematized, emblematizing

to serve as an emblem of; represent by an emblem.

emblematize British

/ ˈɛmbləˌmaɪz, ɛmˈblɛməˌtaɪz /

verb

to function as an emblem of; symbolize
to represent by or as by an emblem

"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

Etymology

Origin of emblematize

1605–15; emblemat- ( see emblematic) + -ize

Explanation

To emblematize is to act as a symbol for something, the way a "thumbs-up" gesture emblematizes encouragement or the American flag emblematizes the United States. When something emblematizes a larger idea, it acts as an emblem, an object or design that stands in for a concept, group, or business. Think of the peace sign, McDonald's golden arches, or your favorite sports team's logo. People can also act as emblems, when they come to represent an era in history or an ideal. One example is Martin Luther King, Jr., who emblematizes the civil rights movement for many Americans.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023