1
: an authoritative summary of faith or doctrine : creed
2
: something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance
especially
: a visible sign of something invisible
the lion is a symbol of courage
3
: an arbitrary or conventional sign used in writing or printing relating to a particular field to represent operations, quantities, elements, relations, or qualities
4
: an object or act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed
phallic symbols
5
: an act, sound, or object having cultural significance and the capacity to excite or objectify a response
Examples of symbol in a Sentence
Noun
the traditional physician's symbol of a staff entwined with a snake
the symbol ¶ indicates where a new paragraph should begin
Recent Examples on the Web
William Jones, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The Dream of the Desert train, a symbol of Saudi Arabia‘s growth story, is more than a mirage.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Lily Templeton, WWD, 13 Mar. 2025
One way to easily short gold is to buy the DB Gold Short ETF symbol ‘DGZ ’ -Todd Gordon, Founder of Inside Edge Capital , LLC DISCLOSURES: (Gordon owns bitcoin ETF IBIT in his wealth management company Inside Edge Capital, LLC.
—Todd Gordon, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for symbol
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Noun
Final Thoughts Taylor Farms’ story is about evolution, how a company transformed something as simple as salad into a symbol of modern, responsible convenience.
—William Jones, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The Dream of the Desert train, a symbol of Saudi Arabia‘s growth story, is more than a mirage.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
The collection played on some key themes of the brand, giving its signature protective evil eye symbol a surrealist twist or emphasizing the label’s approach to jewelry stacking with minimal earrings and rings inspired by the shape of the snake.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 13 Mar. 2025
One way to easily short gold is to buy the DB Gold Short ETF symbol ‘DGZ ’ -Todd Gordon, Founder of Inside Edge Capital , LLC DISCLOSURES: (Gordon owns bitcoin ETF IBIT in his wealth management company Inside Edge Capital, LLC.
—Todd Gordon, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for symbol
Cite this Entry
“Symbol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbol. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
symbol
noun
sym·bol
ˈsim-bəl 
: something that stands for or suggests something else: as
a
: an arbitrary or conventional sign used in writing or printing relating to a particular field to represent operations, quantities, elements, relations, or qualities
b
: an object or act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed
phallic symbols
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