variants
also symbolical
as in representational
having the function or meaning of an object or figure that stands for something else
the butterfly in the poem is symbolic of the impermanence of youth
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Recent Examples of symbolic
There’s also a fellow tenant (A$AP Rocky) at the motel whose elusive appearance and vague attempts to help her out seem to embody Linda’s own white privilege, putting us in the realm of a symbolic dream movie.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Actually, Alma does suffer from ulcers, which cause her extraordinary stomach pain and vomiting at inconvenient moments, and cause viewers to wonder not if but when such clumsy symbolic traits will be trotted out in the future.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
While the response to those remarks was not necessarily positive, Weiss booked the panel on the same day as her first visit to CBS News’ Washington newsroom, where some staff have seen it as a symbolic victory.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Even Rancho Humilde’s own CEO, Jimmy Humilde, steps into the frame as himself, a symbolic full-circle moment for the mogul whose global vision built the label.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Actually, Alma does suffer from ulcers, which cause her extraordinary stomach pain and vomiting at inconvenient moments, and cause viewers to wonder not if but when such clumsy symbolic traits will be trotted out in the future.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
While the response to those remarks was not necessarily positive, Weiss booked the panel on the same day as her first visit to CBS News’ Washington newsroom, where some staff have seen it as a symbolic victory.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Even Rancho Humilde’s own CEO, Jimmy Humilde, steps into the frame as himself, a symbolic full-circle moment for the mogul whose global vision built the label.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic
Adjective
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The effect is to infuse the story with an undeniable and knowing nostalgia; how quaint, at Alma’s party, to find everyone debating matters of representational consequence.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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These models encode representational maps.—
Eric Markowitz,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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From August 2024 to June 2025, Statista collected the data via an online panel service provider to ensure a representative sample.—
Time,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
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Veterans’ groups must raise their voices—not only to defend those who serve today, but to safeguard the principle of a representative force for tomorrow.—
Loree Sutton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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