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# symbolically

adverb (symbolically)

«symbolically» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Symbolically means in a way that uses a symbol to stand for an idea, rather than in a real or practical way. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/#m1)
2. In maths, symbolically means using signs and letters, like + and x, instead of words. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/#m2)

### In the lessons

In religious education, actions are done symbolically: in baptism water symbolically washes away sin, and Christians share bread and wine symbolically or as a sacrament to remember Jesus. In stories and poems, a storm may symbolically show a character's anger. In maths, a word problem can be written symbolically, like "x + 3 = 7". Phrases: "symbolically important", "act symbolically", "written symbolically".

### Examples

- The dove symbolically stands for peace. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/#x1)
- At the end of the year we symbolically handed the class key to the next year group. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/#x2)
- (church) In baptism, water symbolically washes the person clean. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/#x3)
- In the story, the dark forest symbolically shows the girl's fear. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/#x4)
- We wrote the problem symbolically as 3 × n = 12. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/#x5)
- Planting a tree was a symbolically important start for the new school. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/#x6)

### Note

Adjective: symbolic; noun: symbol; verb: symbolise (UK) / symbolize (US). Something done symbolically matters for its meaning, not its practical effect: cutting a ribbon symbolically opens a building. Spelled with -ically: symbolic + -ally.

## In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: Old translators say a passage in Sefer Yetzirah is explained in a symbolic way in the next paragraph. In the primary lessons: In religious education, actions are done symbolically: in baptism water symbolically washes away sin, and Christians share bread and wine symbolically or as a sacrament to remember Jesus. In stories and poems, a storm may symbolically show a character's anger. In maths, a word problem can be written symbolically, like "x + 3 = 7". Phrases: "symbolically important", "act symbolically", "written symbolically".

### Examples

- This idea is then symbolically explained in the next paragraph. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/symbolically/#x1)

### Note

Adjective: symbolic; noun: symbol; verb: symbolise (UK) / symbolize (US). Something done symbolically matters for its meaning, not its practical effect: cutting a ribbon symbolically opens a building. Spelled with -ically: symbolic + -ally.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «symbolically» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/symbolically/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«symbolically» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/symbolically.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «symbolically» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/symbolically/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«symbolically» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/symbolically.html) on Mova free.