Another possibility is that the defenses were mainly symbolic, and perhaps played a part in warfare that was conducted according to formal rituals.

But then the achievement was always going to be mainly symbolic.

European citizenship is mainly symbolic.

At night, the doors of an oversize armoire are flung open to disclose a rolling bar, but the fixture is mainly symbolic.

While saying that his government would take time to consider the implications of the situation, Mr. Bourassa announced several measures that appeared to be mainly symbolic.

I took a couple coins in a gesture mainly symbolic, and handed the rest to her.

Most were mainly symbolic, including the pledge by Beijing and Washington to stop targeting nuclear missiles at each other.

With Hamas now in control of the Palestinian legislature, the invitation seemed mainly symbolic.

Their stance seems mainly symbolic.

The emperor's role today is mainly symbolic, not unlike that of a modern European monarch.