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REFERENCE

emblem

n. · v.
US //ˈɛmbɫəm// UK //ˈɛmbləm// em·blem
  1. 1 a symbol or badge (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a design or object that represents a group, a country, or a family.

    a distinctive badge or heraldic device that serves as a symbol for a particular entity, such as a nation or organisation.

    Example

    The national emblem of Canada is the maple leaf.

    Example

    The regiment's emblem was prominently displayed on the gates of the barracks, featuring a golden eagle against a deep blue background.

    Usage

    Often used with 'of' to show what the symbol represents.
  2. 2 a representative example (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    something that is a perfect example of a larger idea or feeling.

    a person or thing that serves as a concrete representation of an abstract quality or a larger social movement.

    Example

    For many people, the old factory was an emblem of the city's history.

    Example

    The crumbling architecture became a tragic emblem of the once-prosperous region's economic decline.

    Teacher's tip

    In this sense, 'emblem' is more formal and literary than 'symbol'.
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  1. 3 moral picture (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary Literary

    an old type of picture with a short poem that teaches a lesson about life.

    a picture accompanied by a motto or verses intended to provide a moral lesson or religious meditation.

    Example

    The book contained several emblems showing the dangers of greed.

    Example

    Renaissance scholars often studied complex emblems that combined intricate woodcuts with Latin poetry to convey philosophical truths.
  2. 4 to represent (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic

    to be a symbol of something.

    to represent or serve as a symbol for something else.

    Example

    The white rose was used to emblem the purity of the queen.

    Example

    In his earlier poems, the author sought to emblem the struggle between nature and industry through vivid floral imagery.
Origin

From Old French embleme, from Latin emblema (“raised ornaments on vessels, tessellated work, mosaic”), from Ancient Greek ἔμβλημα (émblēma, “an insertion”), from ἐμβάλλειν (embállein, “to put in, to lay on”). Doublet of emblema.

Word family

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