SYMBOLIC Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

symbolic

adjective

sim-ˈbä-lik

variants also symbolical

Definition of symbolic

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of symbolic For the Catholic and symbolic ceremonies, the groom donned two bespoke suits by HKT Custom Clothiers—one made from Loro Piana blue linen and the other from Vitale Barberis Canonico tuxedo fabric. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026 More than symbolic Supporters of the bill — which include a statewide coalition of Jewish community and advocacy organizations — say the distinction is more than symbolic. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Cadet will work with architect Rodney Leon, who is also of Haitian descent, and who will advise on the interpretive writing and symbolic elements of the statue and its lighting and siting. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 Still, crossing six figures is a symbolic milestone for an industry already grappling with questions about affordability and whether a college degree is worth getting. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for symbolic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic

Adjective

Mofokeng is one of three Sharpeville residents acting as representative plaintiffs for a wider group in the case brought by Lawyers for Human Rights.

— Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Her lyrics were representative of America throughout different decades, including the changing experiences of women who demanded equality.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of representative

Adjective

There are very real representational problems with regard to realism, phones, and internet life’s microwave instructions for rendering the literal ironic and the ironic literal.

— M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
So what better way to counter decades of representational flattening than with a show whose central characters are young Londoners who share that label but little besides it—and then throw them together in a punk band?

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of representational

Adjective

Collin tries to turn him into an emblematic twentieth-century figure, an absurd hero out of, say, Camus, who can find himself (and also lose himself) only through selfless service.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Marshall’s detractors say the Florida property is emblematic of a lawmaker who is out of touch with his constituents.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of emblematic

Browse Nearby Words

symboled

symbolic

symboling

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“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of symbolic

adjective

Example Sentences

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Cite this Entry

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