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
Around the same time the fire swept through Nottoway, a tree fell and destroyed part of a Confederate museum in North Carolina — an eerie coincidence that felt almost symbolic.
—
Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 29 May 2025
Some experts say the total of these investments might not actually amount to a lot of money for each individual person, with Johannes Geyer, deputy head of the public economics department at research institute DIW Berlin, telling CNBC that the sum is ultimately mostly symbolic.
—Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 28 May 2025
As for her accessories, Queen Camilla styled her three-strand pearl necklace with a diamond clasp at the center and the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada brooch, which holds a significant symbolic meaning, per Steven Stone jewelry expert Maxwell Stone.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 27 May 2025
Imagine China deciding to invade Taiwan, calculating that sanctions will only be symbolic, short-lived, or broadly ineffective.
—Zoltan Istvan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 29 May 2025
Some experts say the total of these investments might not actually amount to a lot of money for each individual person, with Johannes Geyer, deputy head of the public economics department at research institute DIW Berlin, telling CNBC that the sum is ultimately mostly symbolic.
—Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 28 May 2025
As for her accessories, Queen Camilla styled her three-strand pearl necklace with a diamond clasp at the center and the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada brooch, which holds a significant symbolic meaning, per Steven Stone jewelry expert Maxwell Stone.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 27 May 2025
Imagine China deciding to invade Taiwan, calculating that sanctions will only be symbolic, short-lived, or broadly ineffective.
—Zoltan Istvan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic
representative
Adjective
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In this case, the study was limited to a single incel forum, which might not be broadly representative of similar discussions on other platforms.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
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While onshore producers of oil and gas have many similar operational and economic traits, such as the shrinking inventory of top tier wells, this decoupling is representative of a fundamentally different outlook for the future of each commodity.—
Bryce Erickson,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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