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
Not as a symbolic gesture, but as a legally binding framework that governs everything from tank retrievals to groundwater treatment.
—
New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
Interestingly enough, the tumulus represents a meeting of Roman and Celtic traditions, though, by the looks of it, this funerary monument, possibly attached to a stately though unknown elite, was a symbolic gesture, piquing intrigue and revealing a slice of Roman life rarely seen.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Against that backdrop, Instagram's new gold rings stand out as a symbolic gesture rather than direct financial support in an increasingly challenging creator economy.
—Zach Vallese, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
So far, more than 600 instruments have been donated, with 550 flood victims able to receive the gifts — a symbolic gesture of empathy and culture in this musically-rich landscape.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic gesture
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New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
Interestingly enough, the tumulus represents a meeting of Roman and Celtic traditions, though, by the looks of it, this funerary monument, possibly attached to a stately though unknown elite, was a symbolic gesture, piquing intrigue and revealing a slice of Roman life rarely seen.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Against that backdrop, Instagram's new gold rings stand out as a symbolic gesture rather than direct financial support in an increasingly challenging creator economy.
—Zach Vallese, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
So far, more than 600 instruments have been donated, with 550 flood victims able to receive the gifts — a symbolic gesture of empathy and culture in this musically-rich landscape.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 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 26 Dec. 2025.
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