Symbol

A symbol is something such as an object, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On maps, crossed sabres may indicate a battlefield. Numerals are symbols for numbers. All language consists of symbols. The word "cat" is not a cat, but is an arbitrary symbol representing the idea of a cat. A certain symbol might represent a town, city or a village of some sort.

The use of symbols is often attributed to being unique to homo sapiens. Humans use symbols in a variety of different ways. For example, written languages are composed of a variety of different symbols that create words. Through these written words, humans communicate with each other.

Some writers distinguish between a sign and a symbol. In this case, a sign is purely formal, having no resemblance to the object it represents, while a symbol suggests or resembles the object it represents. When this distinction is made, the word "cat" is a sign but the crossed sabers indicating a battlefield on a map are a symbol.