🔗 Use of symbols 🎭 Artistic movement

symbolism

4 7.7

An art and literature movement in the late 1800s that used pictures and hints to show ideas and feelings

noun
/ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/

Literature

: simbolismo

The author assumes here that this is religious symbolism, which represents a particular facet of Cassidy's own spirituality.
literary symbolism
French symbolism
symbolism in art

Examples

The second factor was literary symbolism, which created an intellectual climate hospitable to dance.

Academic text (1991)
His late work often returned to the style and mood of the symbolism of the early 20th century.

Blog text (29)
Oh, no, Kafka's symbolism here is obvious.

Class (1983)
Others agree that jurors are not dumb; they will not be fooled by symbolism.

Academic text (1994)
The villain in Barzun's piece is French symbolism, which he thinks played a prominent part in shaping contemporary views of culture.

Academic text (1995)
In his novel, the author uses symbolism to convey deeper meanings about life and existence.
The painting is rich in symbolism, with each color and shape representing different emotions.
Many critics argue that the film's use of symbolism makes it more profound and thought-provoking.

Antonyms

realism

12 6.1

An art style that shows ordinary life without making it look prettier

literalism

Literature

1 8.2

A way of making art or writing that shows things exactly as they are, not using symbols

Surface Forms

symbolism singular

symbolisms plural

Morphology

symbolism = symbol (transparent) = symbol + ism

Formed by the noun 'symbol' plus the productive suffix '-ism' meaning a movement or doctrine; the relation is straightforward.

Etymology

Symbolism as an art movement takes its name from the Greek symbolon meaning 'sign' or 'token'. Artists and writers used dreamlike images as signs for inner feelings, so Symbolism is about showing ideas through images instead of saying them.