symbolnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈsɪm.bəl/us/ˈsɪm.bəl/B2 a sign, shape, or object that is used to represent something else:
A heart shape is the symbol of love.
The wheel in the Indian flag is a symbol of peace.
Compare
emblem
something that is used to represent a quality or idea:
Water, a symbol of life, recurs as an image throughout her poems.
a number, letter, or sign used in mathematics, music, science, etc.:
The symbol for oxygen is O.
An object can be described as a symbol of something else if it seems to represent it because it is connected with it in a lot of people's minds:
The private jet is a symbol of wealth.
More examples
- For many people the horseshoe is a symbol of good luck.
- The Berlin Wall was a potent symbol of the Cold War.
- The red cross symbol was painted on each side of the vehicle.
- He described sport as a symbol of peace and a means of promoting fraternity between nations.
- The symbol © shows that something is protected by copyright.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Figurative use of language
- a metaphor for sth idiom
- allegory
- anthropomorphism
- as
- as it were idiom
- fig
- figurative
- figuratively
- idiom
- imagery
- ironic
- irony
- metaphor
- metaphorical
- metonymy
- mix
- mixed metaphor
- pathetic fallacy
- so to speak idiom
- speak
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