प्रतीक या शब्दाचा प्राचीन काळापासून प्रयोग करण्यात येत आहे .आज त्याला आपण प्रतीक किंवा प्रतीका वाद म्हणतो त्याचा उदय आधुनिक काळात इ.स.१८८० च्या आसपास झाला आहे .प्रतीक हा शब्द प्रति उपसर्गपूर्वक इणगतौ या धातूपासून बनला आहे.प्रतीक या शब्दाचा अर्थ अभिव्यक्त करणारा शब्द म्हणजे प्रतीक होय.

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. All communication is achieved through the use of symbols. Symbols take the form of words, sounds, gestures, ideas, or visual images and are used to convey other ideas and beliefs. For example, a red octagon is a common symbol for "STOP"; on maps, blue lines often represent rivers; and a red rose often symbolizes love and compassion. Numerals are symbols for numbers; letters of an alphabet may be symbols for certain phonemes; and personal names are symbols representing individuals.