symbolic
Objects and places intended to convey meaning or attract visual or auditory attention, including attention to themselves.
Symbolic usages are applied to objects and places whose purpose is to convey meaning, or to be looked at or heard - usually to call attention to something, including the object itself. These include various forms of display, including texts, sounds, artworks, or representation of other objects, persons, organizations, phenomena, or things.
Conveying meaning or attracting sensory attention is the intended function. The subject can be something else or the object itself, so a symbolic usage does not require representation of a different physical object.
A sign, a memorial, and an aesthetic object distinguish particular purposes within this group. Visibility alone does not make an ordinary functional structure symbolic.
More specific definitions
3 sub-definitions-
aesthetics
Objects or sites whose purpose is mainly to enhance the surrounding environment. -
memorial
An object or site used to mark something in the past or otherwise intended for being commemorated. -
sign
Objects used to represent other objects or call attention to something through text, sound, pictures, or graphics.
Related definitions
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agriculture
Spaces which service the harnessing of natural bounty, especially crops and livestock. -
education
Spaces for classroom teaching or designated academic study, excluding separate research, library, administrative, and dormitory uses. -
government
Governmental premises for public interaction and receipt of government services, excluding regular administrative offices. -
health
Space used for medical and recuperative care, or for maintenance of well-being. -
industry
Spaces associated with direct production of material goods, including manufacturing, mining, and assembly. -
infrastructure
Structures and spaces which serve basic civil functions as part of extensive built networks. -
leisure
Places used for free-time enjoyment, including cultural attractions and spaces for fun, recreation, or relaxation. -
library
A space housing a large book collection with areas for study, research, or reading, subject to the small institutional exclusions. -
lodging
Guest accommodation with housekeeping and a self-determined stay, including serviced apartments with flexible leasing. -
office
Places for desk-based work where people administer any kind of business activities. -
parking
Space for temporarily leaving automobiles and other roadworthy transport vehicles when they are not in use. -
religion
Spaces dedicated to worship, prayer, or other spiritual activities prescribed by an organized or defined religious tradition. -
research
Spaces for experimental research and scientific and technological development. -
residential
Building space used as a home by people living there on at least a semi-permanent basis. -
retail
Space used for the trading of goods and services between vendors and consumers. -
services
Space used by a business to deliver services outside a customer-facing retail setting. -
social
Areas intended to bring people together for friendly, communal, or charitable purposes. -
sports
Spaces intended for athletic performance, training, practice, exercise, or recreational sport, subject to the amenity exclusions. -
storage
Places where goods are kept while not in use, excluding shipping hubs used only for rapid transfer between route stages.