Symbol
A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences. All communication (and data processing) is achieved through the use of symbols, such as words, sounds, gestures, ideas, or visual images and are used to convey abstract things like ideas and beliefs. For example, a red octagon is a common symbol for "STOP"; on maps, blue lines often represent rivers; and a red rose often symbolizes love and compassion. Numerals are symbols for numbers; letters of an alphabet may be symbols for certain phonemes; and personal names are symbols representing individuals. The academic study of symbols is called semiotics.
In art, literature, storytelling, and other forms of human culture, symbolism is the use of a more concrete thing like a character, setting, or object to represent a more abstract thing like an idea, emotion, or belief system. In the visual arts specifically, symbolism similarly refers to concrete visual elements being used to represent abstract concepts. In cartography, an organized collection of symbols forms a legend for a map.
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