Standard Lemma guide

symbolize

verb · 7 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsɪmbəlaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S IH1 M B AH0 L AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To be symbolic of; to represent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Doves often symbolize peace.
  • The broken chain symbolizes freedom.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To use symbols; to represent ideas symbolically.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To convert something into a symbol.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To resemble each other in qualities or properties; to correspond; to harmonize.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To hold the same faith; to agree.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

express indirectly by an image, form, or model; be a symbol

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • What does the Statue of Liberty symbolize?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: typify, symbolise, stand for, represent

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mean, intend

Narrower terms: embody, be, personify, typify, epitomize, epitomise

7

verb

Meaning 7

represent or identify by using a symbol; use symbols

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The poet symbolizes love in this poem
  • These painters believed that artists should symbolize

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: symbolise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: represent

History

Etymology

From Middle French symboliser.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: rəmziləşdirmək — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Azerbaijani: simvollaşdırmaq — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Belarusian: сімвалізава́ць (simvalizavácʹ) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Belarusian: сымбалізава́ць (symbalizavácʹ) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Bulgarian: символизи́рам (simvolizíram) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Catalan: simbolitzar — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Chinese Mandarin: 象徵 /象征 (xiàngzhēng) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Danish: symbolisere — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Dutch: symboliseren — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Esperanto: simboli — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Finnish: symboloida — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Finnish: merkitä — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • French: symboliser — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Galician: simbolizar — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • German: symbolisieren — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Greek: συμβολίζω (symvolízo) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Hungarian: szimbolizál — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Hungarian: jelképez — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Hungarian: jelez — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Irish: siombalaigh — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Italian: simbolizzare — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Japanese: 象徴する (shōchō suru) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Korean: 상징하다 (sangjinghada) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Lithuanian: simbolizuoti — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Maltese: ssimbolizza — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Maltese: ssimboleġġa — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Polish: symbolizować — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Portuguese: simbolizar — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Romanian: simboliza — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Russian: символизи́ровать (simvolizírovatʹ) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Slovene: simbolizirati — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Spanish: simbolizar — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Spanish: parabolizar — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Swedish: symbolisera — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Ukrainian: символізува́ти (symvolizuváty) — to be symbolic of; to represent
  • Welsh: symboleiddio — to be symbolic of; to represent