Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

symbolize

American  
[sim-buh-lahyz] / ˈsɪm bəˌlaɪz /
especially British, symbolise

verb (used with object)

symbolized, symbolizing

  1. to be a symbol of; stand for or represent in the manner of a symbol.

  2. to represent by a symbol or symbols.

  3. to regard or treat as symbolic.

verb (used without object)

symbolized, symbolizing

  1. to use symbols.

symbolize British  
/ ˈsɪmbəˌlaɪz /

verb

  1. (tr) to serve as or be a symbol of

  2. to represent by a symbol or symbols

  3. (intr) to use symbols

  4. (tr) to treat or regard as symbolic or figurative

"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

  • resymbolize verb
  • symbolization noun
  • unsymbolized adjective

Etymology

Origin of symbolize

From the New Latin word symbolizāre, dating back to 1580–90. See symbol, -ize

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.