Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The study or interpretation of symbols or symbolism.
  • noun The use of symbols.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The art of expressing by symbols.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The art of expressing by symbols.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The study or use of symbols.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the study or the use of symbols and symbolism

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

symbol +‎ -ology, with haplology of -olol- to -ol.

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Examples

  • His expertise in symbology and iconography affords him the luxury of virtually endless adventures in exotic locales.

    A Conversation with Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code 2010

  • The Practice, then on Boston Legal, in a role-as a blustery, buffoonish lawyer named Denny Crane who trades on long-lost greatness-that is so frankly a point-on mockery of William Shatner's career and symbology, that is William Shatner, that it's at first embarrassing to watch.

    Men.Style.com: Latest Features and Articles 2010

  • The Practice, then on Boston Legal, in a role-as a blustery, buffoonish lawyer named Denny Crane who trades on long-lost greatness-that is so frankly a point-on mockery of William Shatner's career and symbology, that is William Shatner, that it's at first embarrassing to watch.

    Men.Style.com: Latest Features and Articles 2010

  • The Practice, then on Boston Legal, in a role-as a blustery, buffoonish lawyer named Denny Crane who trades on long-lost greatness-that is so frankly a point-on mockery of William Shatner's career and symbology, that is William Shatner, that it's at first embarrassing to watch.

    Men.Style.com: Latest Features and Articles 2010

  • Dan Brown and his debonair professor of "symbology" Robert Langdon have broken the stranglehold that celebrity autobiographies have held over December book sales in recent years to take the Christmas number one slot.

    Culture | guardian.co.uk 2009

  • The artist must understand "symbology" to tell an effective tale.

    Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center 2009

  • The artist must understand "symbology" to tell an effective tale.

    Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center 2009

  • Dan Brown and his debonair professor of "symbology" Robert Langdon have broken the stranglehold that celebrity autobiographies have held over December book sales in recent years to take the Christmas number one slot.

    Culture | guardian.co.uk 2009

  • But hell so the lawyers can feel better because of some technicality, or because of "symbology" according to Emily risking a few soldiers lives transporting these bastards and guarding them over in prime grade terrorist territory-what the hell.

    "What Do Women Diavloggers Want?" Ann Althouse 2009

  • "symbology" which is nothing more than the product of your preconceptions.

    Planet Atheism 2010

Comments

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  • I work with a designer who coined this term apparently as a synonym for "symbolism."

    October 3, 2007

  • Now, I thought symbology was some wanky term that the writer of "The DaVinci Code" coined as a synonym for talking shite. :D

    October 3, 2007

  • I'd go with colleen's description. :-)

    October 3, 2007

  • Agreed, I knew I had heard this word before. Sadly, your designer friend may not be as creative as s/he thinks. :-P

    October 3, 2007

  • I personally used it for the first time over 30 years ago!

    October 4, 2007

  • OK, so he didn't coin it. I wasn't trying to say he was SMART.

    October 4, 2007

  • I keed, I keed!

    October 4, 2007