symbolic

[ sim-bol-ik ]
See synonyms for symbolic on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. serving as a symbol of something (often followed by of).

  2. of, relating to, or expressed by a symbol.

  1. characterized by or involving the use of symbols: a highly symbolic poem.

  2. (in semantics, especially formerly) pertaining to a class of words that express only relations.: Compare notional (def. 7).

  3. Computers. expressed in characters, usually nonnumeric, that require translation before they can be used (opposed to absolute).

Origin of symbolic

1
First recorded in 1650–60; from Late Latin symbolicus, from Greek symbolikós; see symbol, -ic
  • Sometimes sym·bol·i·cal (for defs. 1-4) .

Other words from symbolic

  • sym·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • sym·bol·i·cal·ness, noun
  • non·sym·bol·ic, adjective
  • non·sym·bol·i·cal, adjective
  • non·sym·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • non·sym·bol·i·cal·ness, noun
  • un·sym·bol·ic, adjective
  • un·sym·bol·i·cal, adjective
  • un·sym·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby symbolic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use symbolic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for symbolic

symbolic

symbolical

/ (sɪmˈbɒlɪk) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to a symbol or symbols

  2. serving as a symbol

  1. characterized by the use of symbols or symbolism

Derived forms of symbolic

  • symbolically, adverb
  • symbolicalness, noun

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