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

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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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“Symbolic gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbolic%20gesture. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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