symbolically

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/ˌsɪmˈbɒlɪklɪ/US/ˌsɪmˈbɑːlɪklɪ/

adverb

In a symbolic manner.

Less commonScrabble 24
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Meanings

adverbsymbolically (comparative more symbolically, superlative most symbolically)

comparative more symbolically · superlative most symbolically

  1. In a symbolic manner.

    Haha, memes are funny! Until they totally become racist. Pepe the Frog lived a very normal meme life right up until online trolls turned him into a green thing of hate in 2016. It got so bad his creator symbolically killed him off in 2017.

    2019 December 31, AJ Willingham, “All the trends we loved and hated in the 2010s”, in CNN
  2. By means of symbols or a symbol.
  3. As symbols or a symbol.

    In the end, the deadlock was resolved by a minor -- but for the National Party symbolically important -- addition to one of the other subsections of the language clause.

    2003 Summer, Kristin Henrard, “Post-Apartheid South Africa: Transformation and Reconciliation”, in World Affairs, volume 166, number 1, page 37

Origin

From symbolical + -ly or symbolic + -ally.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans simbolies
  • simboliesin a symbolic manner
Catalan simbòlicament
  • simbòlicamentin a symbolic manner
Chinese Mandarin 象征
  • 象征 (xiàngzhēng)in a symbolic manner
Czech symbolicky
  • symbolickyin a symbolic manner
Danish symbolsk
  • symbolskin a symbolic manner
Dutch symbolisch
  • symbolischin a symbolic manner
Finnish symbolisesti
  • symbolisestiin a symbolic manner
French symboliquement
  • symboliquementin a symbolic manner
German symbolisch
  • symbolischin a symbolic manner
Hungarian jelképesen, szimbolikusan
  • jelképesenin a symbolic manner
  • szimbolikusanin a symbolic manner
Icelandic táknrænt
  • táknræntin a symbolic manner
Italian simbolicamente
  • simbolicamentein a symbolic manner
Korean 상징
  • 상징 (sangjing)in a symbolic manner
Latin symbolice, sumbolice
  • symbolicein a symbolic manner
  • sumbolicein a symbolic manner
Lithuanian simboliškai
  • simboliškaiin a symbolic manner
Malay simbolik
  • simbolikin a symbolic manner
Polish symbolicznie
  • symboliczniein a symbolic manner
Portuguese simbolicamente
  • simbolicamentein a symbolic manner
Romanian simbolic
  • simbolicin a symbolic manner
Russian символически
  • символически (simvoličeski)in a symbolic manner
Spanish simbólicamente
  • simbólicamentein a symbolic manner
Swahili mfano
  • mfanoin a symbolic manner
Turkish sembolik
  • sembolikin a symbolic manner
Ukrainian символі́чно
  • символі́чно (symvolíčno)in a symbolic manner
Vietnamese tượng trưng
  • tượng trưngin a symbolic manner
Welsh symbolaidd
  • symbolaiddin a symbolic manner
Cite this entry
APA

symbolically. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/symbolically

MLA

“symbolically.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/symbolically. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “symbolically,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/symbolically.

Source: symbolically on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.