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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples of symbolic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Members of the Palestinian Joint Action Committee hold a rally and a symbolic funeral for late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 2, 2024.
—
CBS News, 13 Aug. 2024
The pixie cuts marks a possible symbolic moment for Laine, who is set to star in a new Good Bones spin-off with daughter Mina Starsiak Hawk, despite their falling out on the original show.
—Brittany Talarico, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024
The symbolic power of Weerasethakul’s elliptical storytelling — here dreamlike and out of reach — finds its purest expression in this final portion, which arrestingly marries the mythos of folklore with the intimacy of desire.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
But as Kennedy’s number two, Johnson had been consigned to symbolic foreign travel, stewardship of the country’s space effort, and leadership of a toothless presidential committee on equal employment opportunity.
—Marc J. Selverstone / Made By History, TIME, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for symbolic 
CBS News, 13 Aug. 2024
The pixie cuts marks a possible symbolic moment for Laine, who is set to star in a new Good Bones spin-off with daughter Mina Starsiak Hawk, despite their falling out on the original show.
—Brittany Talarico, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024
The symbolic power of Weerasethakul’s elliptical storytelling — here dreamlike and out of reach — finds its purest expression in this final portion, which arrestingly marries the mythos of folklore with the intimacy of desire.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
But as Kennedy’s number two, Johnson had been consigned to symbolic foreign travel, stewardship of the country’s space effort, and leadership of a toothless presidential committee on equal employment opportunity.
—Marc J. Selverstone / Made By History, TIME, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for symbolic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'symbolic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near symbolic
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share