Added 8 October 2026
symbol
/ˈsɪmbəl/ noun
In Latin: symbolum Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about symbol at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- An arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance.
-
Something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible.
the eagle is a symbol of the United States
Origin
From French symbole, from Latin symbolus, symbolum (“a sign, mark, token, symbol, in Late Latin also a creed”), from Ancient Greek σύμβολον (súmbolon, “a sign by which one infers something; a mark, token, badge, ticket, tally, check, a signal, watchword, outward sign”), from συμβάλλω (sumbállō, “to throw together, dash together, compare, correspond, tally, come to a conclusion”), from σύν (sún, “with, together”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw, put”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)