variants
also symbolical
as in representational
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of symbolic
The question is whether the symbolic and economic benefits justify the environmental costs – and whether alternative approaches might achieve similar goals with dramatically lower carbon impact.
—
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
This exhibition, developed during residencies at the McColl Center last fall, offers a study of the symbolic and aesthetic power of white dresses and its intersection with Black female identity.
—Amy Carleton, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
Yet the moves have mostly been symbolic and voluntary.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The signs are symbolic representations of those constellations, and each one comprises 30 degrees of the celestial longitude of the ecliptic.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
This exhibition, developed during residencies at the McColl Center last fall, offers a study of the symbolic and aesthetic power of white dresses and its intersection with Black female identity.
—Amy Carleton, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
Yet the moves have mostly been symbolic and voluntary.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
The signs are symbolic representations of those constellations, and each one comprises 30 degrees of the celestial longitude of the ecliptic.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic
Adjective
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In bird and wildlife art more broadly, there will always be a place for the strictly representational, for realism, but any medium or genre refusing to evolve dies.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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But democratic socialism also suffers from a deeper representational problem.—
Jerel Ezell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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What To Know According to a representative survey of over 2,000 adults by the legal service provider LegalShield, 76 percent of Americans rely on BNPL services, and 49 percent have missed payments in the past.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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Masterpieces from contemporary designers like Taffin, Jacqueline Rabun, Hemmerle and Bina Goenka will be show in New York, as well as representative pieces from heritage houses like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and David Webb.—
Kate Matthams,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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