emblematic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of emblematic
1635–45; < Greek emblēmat-, stem of émblēma ( see emblem) + -ic
Explanation
Something emblematic is symbolic. Empty buildings are emblematic of a city in decline, and a crown is emblematic of royalty. If you know that an emblem is a visual symbol, then you won't be surprised that emblematic things stand for other things. In fact, the word emblem comes from the French word for symbol. Something emblematic represents a larger issue, good or bad. Sometimes emblematic is used for things that are excellent examples. An A student is an emblematic student, and a war hero is an emblematic soldier. Emblematic people are symbols of what others aspire to be.
Vocabulary lists containing emblematic
Viewing Current Refugee Crisis Through an Anne Frank Lens
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The Namesake
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Words from the 2020 Vice Presidential Debate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
EW&F is emblematic of Black identity, uplifting Black joy through a message of infinite possibility and affirmation, “feeding into little souls like mine,” says Michelle Obama.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
Venegas characterizes it as emblematic of her constant need to move and change, or her “stubborn way of living.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
The unexpected turn in the conversation is emblematic of how much has changed in the eight years since I moved to China.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Sulfur is just one of the critical chemicals resulting in higher prices but emblematic of what is happening elsewhere with helium, natural gas and urea.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
They had all just arrived in Florida the night before, and that morning, at ten a.m., fifty beaming girls in outfits adorned with something emblematic of their states had boarded the plane.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
