a person who uses or can interpret symbols, esp as a means to revealing aspects of truth and reality
2.
an artist or writer who practises symbolism in his or her work
3. (usually capital)
a writer associated with the symbolist movement
4. (often capital)
an artist associated with the movement of symbolism
5. Christian theology
a person who rejects any interpretation of the Eucharist that suggests that Christ is really present in it, and who maintains that the bread and wine are only symbols of His body and blood
adjective
6.
of, relating to, or characterizing symbolism or symbolists
Derived forms
symbolistic (ˌsymbolˈistic) or symbolistical (ˌsymbolˈistical)
adjective
symbolistically (ˌsymbolˈistically)
adverb
symbolist in American English
(ˈsɪmbəlɪst)
noun
1.
a person who uses symbols
2.
a person who practices symbolism in representing ideas, etc., esp. in art or literature; specif., any of a group of French and Belgian writers and artists of the late 19th cent. who rejected realism and tried to express ideas, emotions, and attitudes by the use of symbolic words, figures, objects, etc.
3.
a person who studies or is expert in interpreting symbols or symbolism
Derived forms
symbolistic (ˌsymbolˈistic)
adjective
symbolistically (ˌsymbolˈistically)
adverb
Examples of 'symbolist' in a sentence
symbolist
Simeon the prophetic surrealist, Simeon the metaphysical symbolist, Simeon the nature painter.