SYMBOLIC Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

symbolic

adjective

sim-ˈbä-lik

variants also symbolical

Definition of symbolic

as in representative

having the function or meaning of an object or figure that stands for something else the butterfly in the poem is symbolic of the impermanence of youth

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of symbolic Together, these architectural and symbolic elements mediate between order and chaos, memory and transformation. — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026 At the higher level, symbolic planning represents objects, actions and their relationships, allowing the robot to determine the sequence needed to reach a goal. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026 Then, just to keep us guessing, Pugh attended a press event at New York’s Paley Center in an ethereal all-white Erdem gown, a personification of symbolic innocence. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 For beauty founders, launching your brand in retail stores carries symbolic weight. — Rhea Cartwright, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for symbolic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic

Adjective

Increasing turnout by 5 percentage points or so will not necessarily make the electorate more representative or encourage people to vote more consistently.

— Robert Boatright, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Only 1,221 entered over the same period, through subsidiaries, factories or representative offices, the fewest on record outside the Covid-19 pandemic.

— Anniek Bao,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of representative

Adjective

This literally cataclysmic[6] event was preceded by algebraic computations that were never just representational, as might be more the case for geometry, but were from the outset proactive.

— Artforum, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026
The reflex to regard America’s earlier representational and nationalist traditions as something to be repudiated, rather than reconsidered, is learned — not inevitable.

— Frank Porcu, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of representational

Adjective

Love attended King middle and Marshall high schools, two emblematic public campus names in the core of Los Angeles.

— Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Dale Jarrett’s name is plastered on every table throughout the restaurant in a cursive red script, modeled after his emblematic signature.

— Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of emblematic

Browse Nearby Words

symboled

symbolic

symboling

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“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of symbolic

adjective

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