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
Synonyms
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
Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 13 Nov. 2024
Yet Harris' ascent to the White House has resonated deeply with local women who see her as a symbol of possibility.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Fortune, 13 June 2022
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 
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Noun
Bitcoin is rallying on Trump’s victory Trump took a pro-bitcoin stance throughout his campaign, championing the digital currency as a symbol of financial independence and an alternative to traditional banking.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 13 Nov. 2024
Yet Harris' ascent to the White House has resonated deeply with local women who see her as a symbol of possibility.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
The laser eyes symbol that Saylor incorporated into his profile picture started in online Bitcoin communities but has spread to the mainstream.
—Fortune, 13 June 2022
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
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Dictionary Entries Near symbol
Cite this Entry
“Symbol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbol. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
symbol
noun
sym·bol
ˈsim-bəl 
: 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
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