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
The Mexican leader has sent shipments of food and other aid, and even donated $1,000 of her own money to relief efforts in a symbolic gesture.
—
ABC News, 14 Apr. 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
Not as a symbolic gesture, but as standard practice.
—Wolfgang Oels, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic gesture
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ABC News, 14 Apr. 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
Not as a symbolic gesture, but as standard practice.
—Wolfgang Oels, Fortune, 1 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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