symbolism

noun ! Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about symbolism at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

1. A system of symbols and symbolic representations.
2. The practice of investing things with symbolic meaning.
3. An artistic movement in the late 19th century that tried to express abstract or mystical ideas through the symbolic use of images.