Definition

1. Noun:
   • A visible object or image that represents an abstract idea, concept, or another object: A "symbol" is something concrete (like a picture, object, or mark) that stands for or suggests something else, often something intangible, based on cultural association, convention, or shared understanding.
   • A written or printed sign with a conventional, arbitrary meaning: A "symbol" can be a character, letter, or graphic mark used in writing, mathematics, science, or other systems to represent an operation, element, quantity, or relationship.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Representing an abstract idea):
  • The dove is a universal symbol of peace.
  • In many cultures, a red rose is a symbol of love.
• Noun (As a conventional sign):
  • "H₂O" is the chemical symbol for water.
  • The heart shape (❤️) is a common symbol for love on social media.

Advanced Usage

• Status symbol: An object that is owned to display a person's wealth or high social position.
  • For some, a luxury car is more than transportation; it's a status symbol.
• Symbolic gesture: An action that is meant to represent an idea or feeling, rather than having a practical effect.
  • Planting a tree can be a symbolic gesture of hope for the future.

Variants and Related Words

• Symbolic (adj): Serving as a symbol; representing something else.
  • The handshake was symbolic of their new partnership.
• Symbolism (n): The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, especially in art and literature.
  • The novelist's use of water symbolism represented purification.
• Symbolize (v): To be a symbol of; to represent by means of a symbol.
  • The ring symbolizes their eternal bond.

Synonyms

• Emblem: A heraldic device or symbolic object as a distinctive badge.
• Token: A thing serving as a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality, feeling, etc.
• Sign: An object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else.

Related Phrases

• Mathematical symbol: A character (e.g., +, =, π) used in mathematics.
• Currency symbol: A graphic symbol used as a shorthand for a currency's name (e.g., $, €, £).

Related Idioms

• A symbol of the times: Something that is very typical of or represents the current period.
  • The proliferation of smartphones is a symbol of the times.

Noun

1. something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible
   • the eagle is a symbol of the United States
2. an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance