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Symbol["name"]

refers to a symbol with the specified name.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Applications  
Properties & Relations  
Possible Issues  
See Also
Tech Notes
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Symbol

Symbol["name"]

refers to a symbol with the specified name.

Details

  • All symbols, whether explicitly entered using Symbol or not, have head Symbol.
  • x_Symbol can be used as a pattern to represent any symbol.
  • The string "name" in Symbol["name"] must be an appropriate name for a symbol. It can contain any letters, letter‐like forms, or digits, but cannot start with a digit.
  • Symbol["name"] creates a new symbol if none exists with the specified name.
  • A symbol such as x has a name "x".
  • If Symbol["name"] creates a new symbol, it does so in the context specified by $Context.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Convert a string to a symbol:

Wolfram Language code: Symbol["x"]

Confirm that it is a symbol:

Wolfram Language code: Head[%]

Scope  (4)

Use Symbol to create new symbols in a program:

Wolfram Language code: Symbol["x" <> "1"]

Use Symbol for pattern matching:

Wolfram Language code: {f[x], f["x"], f[2]} /. f[s_Symbol] :> g[s]

Create a symbol in a given context:

Wolfram Language code: Symbol["a`x"]
Wolfram Language code: Context[Evaluate[%]]

Create a symbol in the current context:

Wolfram Language code: Symbol["`x"]

Applications  (1)

Create several symbols in a program:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Symbol["x" <> ToString[i]], {i, 5}]

Properties & Relations  (9)

Symbol creates new symbols in the current context:

Wolfram Language code: Names["`x*"]
Wolfram Language code: Symbol["x1"]
Wolfram Language code: Names["`x*"]

Unique creates symbols with a unique new name:

Wolfram Language code: Unique["x"]
Wolfram Language code: Table[Unique["x"], {5}]

Module creates new temporary symbols every time it is evaluated:

Wolfram Language code: Module[{x}, x]

Symbol and SymbolName are inverses of each other:

Wolfram Language code: Symbol[SymbolName[x17]]
Wolfram Language code: SymbolName[Symbol["y32"]]//InputForm

Many functions of symbols also accept symbol names as arguments:

Wolfram Language code: Attributes["Pi"]

Context gives the context of a symbol:

Wolfram Language code: Context[Integrate]

Possible symbol names can be characterized by regular expressions:

Wolfram Language code: StringMatchQ[#, RegularExpression["[[:alpha:]$][[:alnum:]$]*"]]& /@ {"sym1", "1x", "mäder", "x_1", "$1"}

Symbol resolves context aliases:

Wolfram Language code: $ContextAliases["abc`"] = "NewContext`"; abc`newSymbol; Symbol["abc`newSymbol"]

LocalSymbol and CloudSymbol provide for persistent storage of values:

Wolfram Language code: LocalSymbol["x"] = 10!;
Wolfram Language code: CloudSymbol["x"] = 11!;
Wolfram Language code: {LocalSymbol["x"], CloudSymbol["x"]}

Possible Issues  (1)

The name must satisfy the syntax for symbol names:

Wolfram Language code: Symbol["1x"]
Wolfram Research (1988), Symbol, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Symbol.html (updated 1996).

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), Symbol, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Symbol.html (updated 1996).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "Symbol." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 1996. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Symbol.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). Symbol. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Symbol.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_symbol, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Symbol}", year="1996", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Symbol.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_symbol, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Symbol}, year={1996}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Symbol.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}