variants
also symbolical
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
The move is largely symbolic — the extra 188,000 barrels a day is modest, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz means little will reach its destination anyway.
—
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 4 May 2026
But decadents only break taboos in a bloodless, symbolic way—they’re too lazy and refined for murder.
—Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Florists can provide helpful tips on choosing the right flowers for mom including how to reflect her preferences and understand the symbolic meanings of different flowers.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 2 May 2026
Abel then announced the symbolic move of retiring jerseys with Buffett’s and Munger’s names on them that will hang in the rafters of the arena.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 4 May 2026
But decadents only break taboos in a bloodless, symbolic way—they’re too lazy and refined for murder.
—Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Florists can provide helpful tips on choosing the right flowers for mom including how to reflect her preferences and understand the symbolic meanings of different flowers.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 2 May 2026
Abel then announced the symbolic move of retiring jerseys with Buffett’s and Munger’s names on them that will hang in the rafters of the arena.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for symbolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symbolic
Adjective
-
Hengli, by contrast, is representative of the most modern of China’s private refiners, with a sprawling oil-processing and chemicals complex in the northeastern province of Liaoning.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
-
Researchers combined ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and low-energy inverse photoelectron spectroscopy to measure key energy properties in representative materials.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Her own work moves between evocative and representational — but there’s always a thread.—
The Editors of ARTnews,
ARTnews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This means that representational alignment may be a solvable problem and a step toward addressing broader alignment challenges.—
Arryn Robbins,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The gingko tree at the picture’s center — majestic, beautiful, seen from different angles and in varying lights — becomes emblematic of our reflective state of mind.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
Gifted, worldly, and widely loved, Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900) was the emblematic artist of the middle decades of America’s nineteenth century.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
