symbolism

/ˌsɪmbəˈlɪzəm/

/ˈsɪmbəlɪzəm/

Other forms: symbolisms

When you come across objects in a painting or story that stand for a concept, the artist or author is using symbolism to convey ideas.

If a particular object keeps popping up at key points in a story, chances are the author is using symbolism to convey an idea or emotion. In Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes," the grapes symbolize things too difficult for someone to attain or achieve. Sometimes people use symbolism in real life. If the President meets a dignitary in the Oval Office, the symbolism of the location says, "I take you especially seriously."

Definitions of symbolism

1. noun

   the practice of investing things with symbolic meaning
   synonyms: symbolisation, symbolization

   type of:

   pattern, practice

   a customary way of operation or behavior
2. noun

   a system of symbols and symbolic representations
   type of:

   symbol

   an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance
3. noun

   an artistic movement in the late 19th century that tried to express abstract or mystical ideas through the symbolic use of images
   type of:

   art movement, artistic movement

   a group of artists who agree on general principles