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

/ ˈsɪmbəl /

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

verb

1. (tr) another word for symbolize

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of symbol¹

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

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

Idioms and Phrases

see status symbol.

Example Sentences

The Coast Guard had signed off on a policy on November 13 that downgraded the classification of symbols such as swastikas and nooses, according to a report from the Washington Post.

Read more on Salon

Her friends urged her to reframe the tin’s meaning: Make it a tool of healing, instead of hurt, they suggested; strip it of its associations with betrayal and embrace it as a symbol of resilience.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The scene she depicts even imitates her real life: Kahlo actually kept a smaller, papier-mâché skeleton atop her own canopy bed in Mexico City as a reassuring symbol of death’s ubiquity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I would love for it to be a symbol of that.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On the drive up to the Rose Bowl’s front door, underneath the legendary glowing sign, toward the picturesque purple mountains, there stands the most impactful symbol of the school that plays there.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• badge 
• design 
• emblem 
• figure 
• image 
• indication 
• logo 
• motif 
• pattern 
• token 
• type