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
Shareholders cannot afford to mistake a symbolic gesture for a strategic approach.
—
Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
This action is the exact opposite: throwing taxpayer money at a symbolic gesture that will not change the outcome.
—Mike Carroll, Oc Register, 17 Aug. 2025
How could a symbolic gesture compete with geopolitical realities?
—Jeremy Gilley, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Historically, when Democrats have absconded, Republicans have issued state arrest warrants—a symbolic gesture, since the lawmakers had already left Texas—and imposed fines to compel them to return.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic gesture
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Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
This action is the exact opposite: throwing taxpayer money at a symbolic gesture that will not change the outcome.
—Mike Carroll, Oc Register, 17 Aug. 2025
How could a symbolic gesture compete with geopolitical realities?
—Jeremy Gilley, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Historically, when Democrats have absconded, Republicans have issued state arrest warrants—a symbolic gesture, since the lawmakers had already left Texas—and imposed fines to compel them to return.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
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 Sep. 2025.
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