different between symbolic vs occult

English

Etymology

From French symbolique or directly from Latin symbolicus, from Ancient Greek ?????????? (sumbolikós, “of or belonging to a symbol”)

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: sym?bo?lic
• Rhymes: -?l?k

Adjective

symbolic (comparative more symbolic, superlative most symbolic)

1. Pertaining to a symbol.
2. Implicitly representing or referring to another thing.

   a symbolic gesture

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin occultus (“hidden, secret”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??k.?lt/, /??k?lt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??k?lt/
• Rhymes: -?lt

Verb

occult (third-person singular simple present occults, present participle occulting, simple past and past participle occulted)

1. (transitive, astronomy) To cover or hide from view.

   The Earth occults the Moon during a lunar eclipse.

2. (transitive, rare) To dissimulate, conceal, or obfuscate.

Translations

Adjective

occult (comparative more occult, superlative most occult)

2. (medicine) Secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected.
3. Related to the occult; pertaining to mysticism, magic, or astrology.
4. Esoteric.

   • Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."

Derived terms

• occult line

Translations

Noun

occult (uncountable)

1. (usually with "the") Supernatural affairs.

Translations

Related terms

• occultation
• occultive