Main Entry: sym·bol

Pronunciation: \ˈsim-bəl\

Function: noun

: 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>

—sym·bol·ic \sim-ˈbäl-ik\ adjective

—sym·bol·i·cal·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb