the process of mentally representing objects and experiences through the use of symbols (including linguistic symbols). In Jerome Seymour Bruner’s theory of cognitive development, it is one of three modes of representing knowledge (compare enactive representation; iconic representation). A child in this mode (called the symbolic mode or stage) is able to depict and convey ideas through the use of words, sounds, and play; the child can, for example, imagine that he or she is a fire engine and make siren noises while pushing a block that represents a speeding engine.