symbol

1 of 2

noun

sym·​bol ˈsim-bəl How to pronounce symbol (audio)
Synonyms of symbol
1
: an authoritative summary of faith or doctrine : creed
2
: something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance
especially : a visible sign of something invisible
the lion is a symbol of courage
3
: an arbitrary or conventional sign used in writing or printing relating to a particular field to represent operations, quantities, elements, relations, or qualities
4
: an object or act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed
phallic symbols
5
: an act, sound, or object having cultural significance and the capacity to excite or objectify a response

symbol

2 of 2

verb

symboled or symbolled; symboling or symbolling
: symbolize

Synonyms of symbol

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of symbol in a Sentence

Noun the traditional physician's symbol of a staff entwined with a snake the symbol ¶ indicates where a new paragraph should begin
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
There is also an argument to be made for not being very radical in a redesign of the flag as a symbol of the nation. — Eric Shawn, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 The construction has also made the White House, a symbol of American power, seem small. — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
Verb
To me that demonstrated the central role that symbols play in the culture. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 16 Mar. 2017 Press and hold the app icon, tap App Info (the i symbol), and tap Permissions. — Julian Chokkattu, Wired, 8 Sep. 2020 See All Example Sentences for symbol

Word History

Etymology

Noun

in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of symbol was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing symbol

Rhymes for symbol

See All Rhymes for symbol

Browse Nearby Words

symbiotism
symbol
symbolgram
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Symbol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbol. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

symbol

noun
sym·​bol
ˈsim-bəl
1
: something that stands for something else
especially : something real that stands for or suggests another thing that cannot in itself be pictured or shown
the lion is a symbol of courage
2
: a letter, character, or sign used instead of a word or group of words
the sign + is the symbol for addition

Medical Definition

symbol

noun
sym·​bol ˈsim-bəl How to pronounce symbol (audio)
: something that stands for or suggests something else: as
a
: an arbitrary or conventional sign used in writing or printing relating to a particular field to represent operations, quantities, elements, relations, or qualities
b
: an object or act representing something in the unconscious mind that has been repressed
phallic symbols
symbolic
sim-ˈbäl-ik How to pronounce symbol (audio)
adjective
symbolically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce symbol (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on symbol

Nglish: Translation of symbol for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about symbol

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All