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Synonyms

symbolic

American  
[sim-bol-ik] / sɪmˈbɒl ɪk /
Sometimes symbolical

adjective

  1. serving as a symbol of something (often followed byof ).

  2. of, relating to, or expressed by a symbol.

  3. characterized by or involving the use of symbols.

    a highly symbolic poem.

  4. (in semantics, especially formerly) pertaining to a class of words that express only relations.

  5. Computers. expressed in characters, usually nonnumeric, that require translation before they can be used (absolute ).

symbolic British  
/ sɪmˈbɒlɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a symbol or symbols

  2. serving as a symbol

  3. characterized by the use of symbols or symbolism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonsymbolic adjective
  • nonsymbolical adjective
  • nonsymbolically adverb
  • nonsymbolicalness noun
  • symbolically adverb
  • symbolicalness noun
  • unsymbolic adjective
  • unsymbolical adjective
  • unsymbolically adverb

Etymology

Origin of symbolic

First recorded in 1650–60; from Late Latin symbolicus, from Greek symbolikós; symbol, -ic

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.