symbolic
adjective
sym·bol·ic
sim-ˈbä-lik 
variants
or less commonly symbolical
2
: of, relating to, or constituting a symbol
3
: characterized by or terminating in symbols
symbolic thinking
4
: characterized by symbolism
a symbolic dance
Examples of symbolic in a Sentence
The lighting of the candles is symbolic.
The sharing of the wine has symbolic meaning.
Recent Examples on the Web
The move was largely symbolic — such trade is relatively minimal — but demonstrated the worsening of their ties: Brussels is reportedly pressuring Beijing to raise its target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions ahead of this month’s meeting.
—
semafor.com, 8 July 2025
In a post symbolic of fears that the company was now directly linked to his America Party, Musk was forced to correct the record that Tesla’s finance chief Vaibhav Taneja was not serving as Treasurer after a convincing fake had been uploaded to the Federal Election Commission’s website domain.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Diplomats in Brussels expect the final text to resemble the outline deal Britain signed with the U.S. earlier this year — a few pages long, largely symbolic, leaving the most contentious issues for later.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
The move was largely symbolic, as the city police department hadn't been enforcing federal immigration laws to begin with.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
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semafor.com, 8 July 2025
In a post symbolic of fears that the company was now directly linked to his America Party, Musk was forced to correct the record that Tesla’s finance chief Vaibhav Taneja was not serving as Treasurer after a convincing fake had been uploaded to the Federal Election Commission’s website domain.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Diplomats in Brussels expect the final text to resemble the outline deal Britain signed with the U.S. earlier this year — a few pages long, largely symbolic, leaving the most contentious issues for later.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
The move was largely symbolic, as the city police department hadn't been enforcing federal immigration laws to begin with.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbolic. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
symbolic
adjective
sym·bol·ic
sim-ˈbäl-ik
variants
also symbolical
1
: of, relating to, or using symbols or symbolism
a symbolic meaning
symbolic art
2
: having the function or meaning of a symbol
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