noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S IH1 M B AH0 L IH2 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Representation of a concept through symbols or underlying meanings of objects or qualities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An art movement originating in late 19th-century France and Belgium, seeking to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realism.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: art, arts
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A combining together of parts or ingredients.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the practice of investing things with symbolic meaning
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: symbolization, symbolisation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: practice, pattern
5
noun
Meaning 5
a system of symbols and symbolic representations
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: symbol
6
noun
Meaning 6
an artistic movement in the late 19th century that tried to express abstract or mystical ideas through the symbolic use of images
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: artistic movement, art movement
History
Etymology
From symbol + -ism, sense 2 being a semantic loan from French symbolisme.
Across languages
Translations
40 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
رَمْزِيَّة
(ramziyya)
— representation of a concept
Asturian:
simbolismu
— representation of a concept
Belarusian:
сімвалі́зм
(simvalízm)
— representation of a concept
Belarusian:
сімво́ліка
(simvólika)
— representation of a concept
Catalan:
simbolisme
— representation of a concept
Chinese Mandarin:
象徵主義 /象征主义
(xiàngzhēngzhǔyì)
— representation of a concept
Dutch:
symbolisme
— representation of a concept
Esperanto:
simboleco
— representation of a concept
French:
symbolisme
— representation of a concept
Galician:
simbolismo
— representation of a concept
Georgian:
სიმბოლიზმი
(simbolizmi)
— representation of a concept
German:
Symbolik
— representation of a concept
Greek:
συμβολισμός
(symvolismós)
— representation of a concept
Ido:
simbolismo
— representation of a concept
Irish:
siombalachas
— representation of a concept
Italian:
simbolismo
— representation of a concept
Japanese:
象徴主義
(shōchōshugi)
— representation of a concept
Kazakh:
символизм
(simvolizm)
— representation of a concept
Kazakh:
бейнешілік
(beineşılık)
— representation of a concept
Korean:
상징주의
(sangjingjuui)
— representation of a concept
Latin:
symbolismus
— representation of a concept
Latvian:
simbolisms
— representation of a concept
Norwegian Bokmål:
symbolisme
— representation of a concept
Norwegian Nynorsk:
symbolisme
— representation of a concept
Persian:
نمادگرایی
— representation of a concept
Polish:
symbolizm
— representation of a concept
Polish:
symbolika
— representation of a concept
Portuguese:
simbolismo
— representation of a concept
Punjabi:
ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹਵਾਦ
(cinnhvād)
— representation of a concept
Russian:
символи́зм
(simvolízm)
— representation of a concept
Russian:
симво́лика
(simvólika)
— representation of a concept
Spanish:
simbolismo
— representation of a concept
Swedish:
symbolik
— representation of a concept
Tamil:
குறியீட்டியம்
(kuṟiyīṭṭiyam)
— representation of a concept
Thai:
ลัทธิสัญลักษณ์นิยม
— representation of a concept
Turkish:
sembolizm
— representation of a concept
Turkish:
simgecilik
— representation of a concept
Ukrainian:
символі́зм
(symvolízm)
— representation of a concept
Ukrainian:
симво́ліка
(symvólika)
— representation of a concept
Vietnamese:
thơ tượng trưng
— representation of a concept