symbolic gesture
noun
: an act that has no purpose or effect other than to show support, respect, etc.
The president's visit was mainly a symbolic gesture.
Examples of symbolic gesture in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Visitors came from France, China, Ivory Coast and Italy, including France’s ambassador to Tunisia, a symbolic gesture after two French citizens were among those killed in the 2023 attack.
—
ABC News, 6 May 2026
But that is a largely symbolic gesture, because the strait remains closed.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
But his decision to attend has angered some journalists, with HuffPost opting not to attend, and journalists at some other news organizations weighing whether to attend as well (some journalists are planning to wear pins celebrating the First Amendment, in a cute though purely symbolic gesture).
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
In a symbolic gesture reflecting its name, the final beam to be hoisted into the under-construction Legacy Middle School building in Elgin was signed Wednesday by some of the students who will be going there next year.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic gesture
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ABC News, 6 May 2026
But that is a largely symbolic gesture, because the strait remains closed.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
But his decision to attend has angered some journalists, with HuffPost opting not to attend, and journalists at some other news organizations weighing whether to attend as well (some journalists are planning to wear pins celebrating the First Amendment, in a cute though purely symbolic gesture).
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
In a symbolic gesture reflecting its name, the final beam to be hoisted into the under-construction Legacy Middle School building in Elgin was signed Wednesday by some of the students who will be going there next year.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic gesture
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbolic%20gesture. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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