symbolize
Americanverb (used with object)
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symbolizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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symbolized,
past participle, past
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symbolizing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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symbolizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
symbolized,
past participle, past
-
symbolizing
present participle
verb
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(tr) to serve as or be a symbol of
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to represent by a symbol or symbols
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(intr) to use symbols
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(tr) to treat or regard as symbolic or figurative
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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symbolizesimple
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symbolizessimple
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have symbolizedperfect
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has symbolizedperfect
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am symbolizingprogressive
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are symbolizingprogressive
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is symbolizingprogressive
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have been symbolizingperfect progressive
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has been symbolizingperfect progressive
Past
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symbolizedsimple
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had symbolizedperfect
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was symbolizingprogressive
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were symbolizingprogressive
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had been symbolizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of symbolize
From the New Latin word symbolizāre, dating back to 1580–90. See symbol, -ize
Explanation
Use the verb symbolize when you use an image, shape, color, or other simple visual to stand for something else, like when you wear black to symbolize that you're mourning a loss. To symbolize is to make a symbol out of something. Symbolize traces back to the Greek word symbolon, which combines syn-, meaning "together," and bol, meaning "to throw." The earliest Christians were, so to speak, "thrown together" because of their beliefs, and so the Christian "marks" that represented their belief in one God became the first items to be described as symbols.
Vocabulary lists containing symbolize
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Vocabulary to Describe Literary Devices
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The 4-inch vinyl “Pop!” figurines, with their oversize heads and black dot eyes, symbolize being ingrained in pop culture — objects fans buy, celebrate and display.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
“Having something physical to symbolize that makes you feel like you’re in this insider club,” she added, referring to tech-company-branded timepieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Built as part of efforts to modernize Venezuela, the buildings now symbolize the country's dire situation after twin quakes on Wednesday left nearly 1,500 people confirmed dead and tens of thousands missing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
The only object that could better symbolize his time in office is the gold toilet erected as an art installation in D.C. by a mysterious collective called the Secret Handshake.
From Salon ● May 20, 2026
I guess we must symbolize something to him—what he could have been or what he should have been.
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
In part, however, it is being led by the film that most aptly symbolizes Zaslav’s failures.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
A: Ruth symbolizes what she herself expressed: decency.
From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026
Instead of being concerned with product placement, they had an innate understanding of what their office symbolizes and demands.
From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2026
Fink argues that the song reflects a time of centralized power within the music industry, but symbolizes a desire to escape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 1, 2026
Others speculate that the name was chosen for its obvious symbolism: White often represents purity, and a rose often symbolizes love, peace, or the beauty of nature and life.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
But as state "bodegas" disappear, the "libreta" ration book that symbolized equal access to affordable food for all is being quietly shelved.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Eve symbolized beauty and promised consumers the same results through their purchasing power.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
A theatergoer was called upon to play the vet who euthanized the narrator’s childhood pet, a dog named Indiana Bones that was symbolized by a coat someone volunteered from the audience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026
For generations, it has symbolized resilience and rural life, valued for its toughness, ability to graze on marginal land, and nutrient-dense milk that supported small farmers.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2026
I know she didn’t plant it just to keep herself busy, and I remembered that one time Mom told me butterflies symbolized hope.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
The soldiers are shadowed by an allegorical figure carrying poppies, symbolizing sleep—an analog, in the art of the time, for death—and a laurel branch symbolizing peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The cover is illustrated by a mango tree, symbolizing her parents’ home country of El Salvador.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
Similar banners hang outside the Department of Labor and other federal buildings throughout Washington, D.C, symbolizing what’s happening at the Court and throughout the country.
From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2026
This mutual cooperation embodies the Japanese concept of "AUN," symbolizing balance and harmony between opposites.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2025
The Extreme Teen Bible had a black cover with hot-blue writing and these laser-type neon bolts everywhere, symbolizing what, I don’t know.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
