symbolic
adjective
sym·bol·ic
sim-ˈbä-lik 
variants
or less commonly symbolical
2
: of, relating to, or constituting a symbol
3
: characterized by or terminating in symbols
symbolic thinking
4
: characterized by symbolism
a symbolic dance
Synonyms
Examples of symbolic in a Sentence
The lighting of the candles is symbolic.
The sharing of the wine has symbolic meaning.
Recent Examples on the Web
The collection features a range of symbolic designs that blend tradition with modernity, highlighting Swarovski’s craftsmanship and creativity.
—
Ty Gaskins, WWD, 10 Jan. 2025
Harfouch noted the symbolic weight of playing in the Vatican, a place representing more than 2.2 billion Christians worldwide.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
It was then announced Monday that Denmark’s King Frederik X had updated his historic coat of arms to give Greenland and the Faroe Islands greater symbolic prominence and to assert them as a central part of the Danish realm.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2025
Downtown Plains consists largely of a row of 19th-century commercial buildings, and a former train depot that served as Mr. Carter’s symbolic 1976 campaign headquarters.
—Bill Marsh, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for symbolic 
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Ty Gaskins, WWD, 10 Jan. 2025
Harfouch noted the symbolic weight of playing in the Vatican, a place representing more than 2.2 billion Christians worldwide.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
It was then announced Monday that Denmark’s King Frederik X had updated his historic coat of arms to give Greenland and the Faroe Islands greater symbolic prominence and to assert them as a central part of the Danish realm.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2025
Downtown Plains consists largely of a row of 19th-century commercial buildings, and a former train depot that served as Mr. Carter’s symbolic 1976 campaign headquarters.
—Bill Marsh, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for symbolic
Dictionary Entries Near symbolic
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbolic. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
symbolic
adjective
sym·bol·ic
sim-ˈbäl-ik
variants
also symbolical
1
: of, relating to, or using symbols or symbolism
a symbolic meaning
symbolic art
2
: having the function or meaning of a symbol
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