1. artists, writers, or poets who use symbols to express ideas, emotions, or mystical experiences rather than depicting reality directly
Usage: art and literature
2. followers or advocates of Symbolism, a late 19th-century artistic and literary movement
Usage: historical; art history

Examples

• The French symbolists rejected realistic representation in favor of suggestion and mood.
• Many symbolists believed that art should evoke emotions through indirect means.
• Symbolists like Mallarmé used obscure imagery to convey deeper meanings.
• The symbolists influenced modern poetry with their emphasis on personal expression.
• Art critics often contrast the symbolists with their more literal contemporaries.
• These symbolists created works that required careful interpretation by viewers.