symbolize

English

Alternative forms

• symbolise (UK)

Etymology

From Middle French symboliser.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɪmbəlaɪz/

• Audio (Southern England)

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Verb

symbolize (third-person singular simple present symbolizes, present participle symbolizing, simple past and past participle symbolized)

1. (transitive) To be symbolic of; to represent.
   • 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion‎:

     The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood.

2. (intransitive) To use symbols; to represent ideas symbolically.
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To resemble each other in qualities or properties; to correspond; to harmonize.
   • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. , 3rd edition, London: William Rawley; rinted by J H for William Lee , →OCLC:

     The pleasing of colour symbolizeth with the pleasing of any single tone to the ear; but the pleasing of order doth symbolize with harmony.

   • 1640, I. H. [i.e., James Howell], ΔΕΝΔΡΟΛΟΓΊΑ . Dodona’s Grove, or, The Vocall Forrest, London: T B for H. Mosley  , →OCLC:

     They both symbolize in this, that they love to look upon themselves through multiplying glasses.

4. (intransitive, obsolete) To hold the same faith; to agree.
   • 1824, George Stanley Faber, The Difficulties of Infidelity:

     The believers in pretended miracles have always previously symbolized with the performers of them.

Synonyms

• harmonize
• represent

Derived terms

• nonsymbolizing

Translations