symbol vs symbolic representation

symbol and symbolic representation both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
symbol	Yes	No	No	No
symbolic representation	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, symbol and symbolic representation are synonyms defined as:

symbol and symbolic representation: something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible

Other synonyms of symbol include symbolisation, symbolization.

symbol (noun)	symbolic representation (noun)
something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible	something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible
an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance