symbolize
Americanverb
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(tr) to serve as or be a symbol of
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to represent by a symbol or symbols
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(intr) to use symbols
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(tr) to treat or regard as symbolic or figurative
Other Word Forms
- resymbolize verb
- symbolization noun
- unsymbolized adjective
Etymology
Origin of symbolize
From the New Latin word symbolizāre, dating back to 1580–90. See symbol, -ize
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.
That’s a term coined to describe strategic sectors such as AI that symbolize China’s effort to pivot away from traditional growth drivers like property.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
Wolfsthal is among experts involved in the "Doomsday Clock" meant to symbolize how near humanity is to destruction.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
"Lines on maps started to symbolize the limits of political sovereignties rather than the boundless divine promises. This transformed the way that the Bible's descriptions of geographical space were understood."
From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025
And the fact that Kirk was killed on a campus is, I think, heartbreaking because campuses symbolize a place where you can engage in political debate in a way that encourages intellectual exploration.
From Salon • Sep. 13, 2025
It was a ceremonial planting, meant to symbolize the friendship between two great nations, and Kennedy, in the spirit of the event, grabbed a shovel.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
