symbol
/'simbəl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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
- something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible
- the eagle is a symbol of the United States
- an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance