symbolize
Americanverb
-
(tr) to serve as or be a symbol of
-
to represent by a symbol or symbols
-
(intr) to use symbols
-
(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.
I put some scarlet runner beans from the Hollywood Farmers Market over it to symbolize the gathering cultures of Native American tribes.
From Los Angeles Times
A theatergoer was called upon to play the vet who euthanized the narrator’s childhood pet, a dog named Indiana Bones that was symbolized by a coat someone volunteered from the audience.
From Los Angeles Times
The moment that symbolized this transformation came with his own death.
“So I was incorporating things like the half doorway to symbolize their struggle.”
From Los Angeles Times
Instead of being concerned with product placement, they had an innate understanding of what their office symbolizes and demands.
From Salon
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.
