Symbolum

Symbolum is a Latin noun meaning sign, token, emblem, or symbol. It derives from the Greek symbolon, meaning a token or marker used to indicate identity or agreement, and entered Latin with that sense. In general usage, symbolum referred to a sign or mark that conveyed information or identified something, and it could denote physical signs, authenticating marks, or more abstract symbols.

In early and medieval Christian Latin, symbolum acquired a specialized sense as a formal declaration of faith. The term is commonly seen in the titles of creeds, especially the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. Symbolum Apostolorum is the Latin name for the Apostles’ Creed, while Symbolum Nicenum refers to the Nicene Creed. In liturgical and theological writings, the word signals a concise statement of shared beliefs that functions as a symbol of the church’s faith, rather than a philosophical proposition or a narrative.

Outside ecclesiastical contexts, symbolum retained its general meaning as a sign or symbol in scholarly Latin. In modern usage, the term is largely restricted to historical, theological, or philological discussions, where it may appear when describing semiotic concepts in Latin sources or when referring to creedal formulas in Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

See also: symbol, signum, symbolon.