symbolism
/ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/ noun
Forms symbolisms
- noun Representation of a concept through symbols or underlying meanings of objects or qualities.
- noun (art) An art movement originating in late 19th-century France and Belgium, seeking to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realism.
- noun (obsolete) A combining together of parts or ingredients.
Synonyms
Etymology
From symbol + -ism, sense 2 being a semantic loan from French symbolisme.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of symbolizing, or the state of being symbolized; as, symbolism in Christian art is the representation of truth, virtues, vices, etc., by emblematic colors, signs, and forms.
- noun A system of symbols or representations.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “symbolism”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details