symbolic image
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symbolic image
An image or photo that has a strong symbolic meaning and stands for a complex event, situation, or feeling. It is often used in the media to illustrate a story.
Das Foto des Mannes, der sich allein den Panzern entgegenstellt, wurde zum Symbolbild für zivilen Widerstand.
The photo of the man standing alone in front of the tanks became a symbolic image of civil resistance.
The word is a simple compound made up of 'das Symbol' (symbol) and 'das Bild' (image/picture). So it literally describes an image that serves as a powerful symbol for something.
Das weinende Kind nach dem Angriff wurde weltweit zum Symbolbild.
The crying child after the attack became a symbolic image around the world.
This noun is very often used with the construction 'zum Symbolbild für etwas werden' (to become a symbolic image of/for something). The preposition 'für' takes the accusative here.
Dieses Foto wurde zum Symbolbild für die Hoffnung einer ganzen Generation.
This photo became a symbolic image of the hope of an entire generation.
The term is mainly used in the media and in journalism to describe the significance of a photo for a major event (e.g., a crisis, a war, a revolution).
Die Zeitung druckte das Symbolbild des Protests auf die Titelseite.
The newspaper printed the symbolic image of the protest on the front page.
symbol
'das Symbol' and 'das Symbolbild' both have to do with a representative meaning. 'das Symbol' can be a single sign, an object, or even an action that stands for an idea. 'das Symbolbild', on the other hand, is always an image or photo. It is often used in newspapers, on the internet, or in the news when an image is meant to show a situation only in a general way. The words can be confused because both represent something. In practice: a heart can be a Symbol; a photo of crowded streets in an article can be a Symbolbild for traffic or stress.
Der Artikel über Einsamkeit zeigt ein Symbolbild von einer Person an einem Fenster.
The article about loneliness shows a symbolic image of a person at a window.
Auf dem Schild zeigt ein rotes Kreuz das Symbol für Hilfe.
On the sign, a red cross shows the symbol for help.