symbolist

noun

sym·​bol·​ist ˈsim-bə-list How to pronounce symbolist (audio)
Synonyms of symbolistnext
1
: one who employs symbols or symbolism
2
: one skilled in the interpretation or explication of symbols
3
often capitalized : one of a group of writers and artists in France after 1880 reacting against realism, concerning themselves with general truths instead of actualities, exalting the metaphysical and the mysterious, and aiming to unify and blend the arts and the functions of the senses
symbolist adjective

Examples of symbolist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What distinguishes this tale, told in a comic vein, from the symbolist vein of the femme-fatale tale, is the carefree nature of the man’s leap. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2021 Among the artists included at both museums is Tyra Kleen, a symbolist painter of the same era. — Andrew Ferren, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of symbolist was in 1812

Browse Nearby Words

symbolism
symbolist
symbolistic
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Cite this Entry

“Symbolist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbolist. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

symbolist

noun
sym·​bol·​ist ˈsim-bə-ləst How to pronounce symbolist (audio)
1
: a user of symbols or symbolism (as in poetry)
2
: an expert in the explaining of symbols
symbolist adjective

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