symbolic
Saysim-BOL-ik/sɪmˈbɑlɪk/UK/sɪmˈbɒlɪk/
- 1Used to stand for something else instead of being the real thing.
Like a heart drawn on paper: it stands for love, but it is not real love.
The dove on the flag is symbolic, standing for peace.
Lighting a candle for him was a symbolic way to remember.
Similaremblematic, representative, token, nominal
Oppositeliteral, substantive
- 2Relating to symbols and the way they carry meaning.
Like the signs on doors: a small picture of a person tells you which restroom to use.
Math uses symbolic marks like the plus and minus signs.
Road maps rely on symbolic icons to show gas stations and hospitals.
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Origin
It comes from Latin symbolicus and Greek symbolikós, meaning 'belonging to a symbol'.