symbolism
[ sim-buh-liz-uh m ]
/ ˈsɪm bəˌlɪz əm /
noun
the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.
a set or system of symbols.
symbolic meaning or character.
the principles and practice of symbolists in art or literature.
(initial capital letter) a movement of the late 19th century in French art and literature.Compare symbolist(defs 3b, 4b).
the use of any of certain special figures or marks of identification to signify a religious message or divine being, as the cross for Christ and the Christian faith.
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Words nearby symbolism
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for symbolism
British Dictionary definitions for symbolism
symbolism
/ (ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm) /
noun
the representation of something in symbolic form or the attribution of symbolic meaning or character to something
a system of symbols or symbolic representation
a symbolic significance or quality
(often capital) a late 19th-century movement in art that sought to express mystical or abstract ideas through the symbolic use of imagesSee also synthetism
theol any symbolist interpretation of the Eucharist
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
Medical definitions for symbolism
symbolism
[ sĭm′bə-lĭz′əm ]
n.
A mental state in which everything that happens is regarded by the individual as symbolic of his or her own thoughts.
The disguised representation in conscious thought of unconscious or repressed contents or events.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.