Main Entry: sym·bol·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈsim-bə-ˌli-zəm\

Function: noun

Date: 1654

1 : the art or practice of using symbols especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible by means of visible or sensuous representations: as a : artistic imitation or invention that is a method of revealing or suggesting immaterial, ideal, or otherwise intangible truth or states b : the use of conventional or traditional signs in the representation of divine beings and spirits
2 : a system of symbols or representations