Shorthand vs. Symbol — What's the Difference?

Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand, a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos (narrow) and graphein (to write).

A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences.

A system of rapid handwriting employing symbols to represent words, phrases, and letters.

A mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process, e.g. the letter or letters standing for a chemical element or a character in musical notation

A system, form, or instance of abbreviated or formulaic reference

A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract

A rough and rapid method of writing by substituting symbols for letters, words, etc.

Symbolize.

(by extension) Any brief or shortened way of saying or doing something.

Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible

(transitive) To render (spoken or written words) into shorthand.

An instance that typifies a broader pattern or situation

To use a brief or shortened way of saying or doing something.

A printed or written sign used to represent an operation, element, quantity, quality, or relation, as in mathematics or music.

(intransitive) To write in shorthand.

(Psychology) An object or image that an individual unconsciously uses to represent repressed thoughts, feelings, or impulses

A compendious and rapid method or writing by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols, for letters, words, etc.; short writing; stenography. See Illust. under Phonography.

A character or glyph representing an idea, concept or object.

A method of writing rapidly

A thing considered the embodiment of a concept or object.

Written in abbreviated or symbolic form;

(linguistics) A type of noun whereby the form refers to the same entity independently of the context; a symbol arbitrarily denotes a referent. See also icon and index.

A summary of a dogmatic statement of faith.

(crystallography) The numerical expression which defines a plane's position relative to the assumed axes.

(obsolete) That which is thrown into a common fund; hence, an appointed or accustomed duty.

(obsolete) Share; allotment.

(programming) An internal identifier used by a debugger to relate parts of the compiled program to the corresponding names in the source code.

(telecommunications) A signalling event on a communications channel; a signal that cannot be further divided into meaningful information.

To symbolize.

A visible sign or representation of an idea; anything which suggests an idea or quality, or another thing, as by resemblance or by convention; an emblem; a representation; a type; a figure; as, the lion is the symbol of courage; the lamb is the symbol of meekness or patience.

Any character used to represent a quantity, an operation, a relation, or an abbreviation.

An abstract or compendium of faith or doctrine; a creed, or a summary of the articles of religion.

That which is thrown into a common fund; hence, an appointed or accustomed duty.

Share; allotment.

An abbreviation standing for the name of an element and consisting of the initial letter of the Latin or New Latin name, or sometimes of the initial letter with a following one; as, C for carbon, Na for sodium (Natrium), Fe for iron (Ferrum), Sn for tin (Stannum), Sb for antimony (Stibium), etc. See the list of names and symbols under Element.

To symbolize.

An arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance

Something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible;