variants
also symbolical
as in representational
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
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Examples of symbolic in a Sentence
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All the while, Fear the Spotlight’s heavily symbolic story stays strong and eventually transforms into a much darker beast, constantly catching you out with clever twists on new and well-known ideas and plot points, culminating in a satisfying end to proceedings after around three hours.
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Matt Gardner, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Australia became a fully independent country in 1986 but remains a constitutional monarchy in which the British monarch serves as the head of state, a role that is largely symbolic.
—Peter Guo, NBC News, 21 Oct. 2024
Even more important, Dalla Ragione says, fruits often carried symbolic meaning—cherries the blood of Christ, pears the symbol of paradise after death, and so on.
—Mark Schapiro, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
Any opposition to this gang—even if only symbolic in my current limited capacity—is important.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for symbolic 
Matt Gardner, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Australia became a fully independent country in 1986 but remains a constitutional monarchy in which the British monarch serves as the head of state, a role that is largely symbolic.
—Peter Guo, NBC News, 21 Oct. 2024
Even more important, Dalla Ragione says, fruits often carried symbolic meaning—cherries the blood of Christ, pears the symbol of paradise after death, and so on.
—Mark Schapiro, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
Any opposition to this gang—even if only symbolic in my current limited capacity—is important.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for symbolic
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Cite this Entry
“Symbolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symbolic. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
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