variants
also symbolical
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of symbolic
The compromise is mainly symbolic since FCAS is a generic name for such systems and not unique to this plan, but officials have been seeking a formula allowing Macron to relinquish the core fighter without having to declare the whole project dead.
—
CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Toward the end of Tuesday's ceremony, Wiseman passed a symbolic baton to Bresnik, a handoff from one crew to the next in NASA's drive to return astronauts to the surface of the moon.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 9 June 2026
The governor general has important constitutional duties, but the job is mostly ceremonial and symbolic.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
With the moon in Pisces charging up your third house, conversations, writing, errands and everyday miscs feel all the more intuitive and symbolic.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Toward the end of Tuesday's ceremony, Wiseman passed a symbolic baton to Bresnik, a handoff from one crew to the next in NASA's drive to return astronauts to the surface of the moon.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 9 June 2026
The governor general has important constitutional duties, but the job is mostly ceremonial and symbolic.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
With the moon in Pisces charging up your third house, conversations, writing, errands and everyday miscs feel all the more intuitive and symbolic.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic
Adjective
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Kouoh privileged sensitivity over certainty, creating spaces that felt genuinely alive and insistently representative of the world around us.—
Thomas Rom,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
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The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research highlights many Americans’ feeling of unease over the future of its representative government — particularly among young people.—
Gary Fields,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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From the sitcom’s second season, Allen created an ecosystem of Black characters from varying socioeconomic backgrounds, with different ideals and goals, while showcasing both representational and aspirational models of Black excellence.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
VIBE.com,
4 June 2026
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Soon, this recognition stretched to include representational painting by younger Black artists, as museums, galleries, and collectors still more clearly signaled their progressive intent.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Both are the children of Canadian immigrants and emblematic of how and why soccer is so popular in Canada.—
Paula Newton,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
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Is there anything more hopeful or emblematic of change than a garden in its first scraggly youth?—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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