symbol

¹sym·bol

noun \ˈsim-bəl\

Definition of SYMBOL

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

1. <the traditional physician's symbol of a staff entwined with a snake>
2. <the symbol ¶ indicates where a new paragraph should begin>

Origin of SYMBOL

in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to SYMBOL

Synonyms: ensign, hallmark, impresa, logo, emblem, totem, trademark

Related Words: attribute, icon (also ikon), pictograph; logogram, logograph; badge, coat of arms, cognizance, crest, insignia, monogram; colophon, stamp, token

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Alphabet Terms

cuneiform, linear, minuscule, pictograph, rune, symbology, wedge

Rhymes with SYMBOL

cymbal, gimbal, nimble, thimble, timbale, Trimble, tymbal, wimble