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
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Recent Examples of symbolic
Those awards can be hefty but can also turn out to be largely symbolic without a good way to collect, Gurulé said.
—
Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2025
Brown also revved up the hype for some sort of symbolic nod to his decades-long career on Tuesday (March 26) with a cryptic post on Instagram.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Its temporal ripples are also accompanied by geographical ones, owing to footage and harrowing sound bites sourced from Gaza, as well as interviews with Palestinian journalists on the ground, who speak on the symbolic importance of the growing U.S. consciousness around Palestinian freedom.
—Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2025
During the Soweto Uprising, one photo became symbolic of resistance against apartheid.
—Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2025
Brown also revved up the hype for some sort of symbolic nod to his decades-long career on Tuesday (March 26) with a cryptic post on Instagram.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Its temporal ripples are also accompanied by geographical ones, owing to footage and harrowing sound bites sourced from Gaza, as well as interviews with Palestinian journalists on the ground, who speak on the symbolic importance of the growing U.S. consciousness around Palestinian freedom.
—Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2025
During the Soweto Uprising, one photo became symbolic of resistance against apartheid.
—Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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