SYMBOLICALLY Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

symbolic

adjective

sim-ˈbä-lik

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

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Recent Examples of symbolic Even if both chambers were to eventually approve a war powers resolution on Iran, the outcome would be largely symbolic, since the president could veto it. —

Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026 There are significant obstacles, experts say, mainly because Díaz-Canel is also the first secretary of Cuba’s Communist Party, which carries symbolic clout. —

Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026 The symbolic Olympic Truce, endorsed by the United Nations, was broken amid airstrikes carried out by Israel and the United States against Iran, followed by retaliatory strikes from Iran. —

Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 3 Mar. 2026 But the symbolic weight doesn’t eliminate operational limits. —

Essence, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for symbolic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic

Adjective

Not to mention the disproportionate effect this will have on students from diverse and low-income backgrounds, undermining efforts to build a representative health care workforce and preventing even more qualified candidates from entering the field.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Using public data on a nationally representative group of 326 older women and men enrolled in 1999 and 2000, researchers studied the concentration of 11 PFAS and epigenetic markers in blood samples and reviewed participant questionnaires on demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.

— Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026