Cite new river, previously symbolic (6)
I believe the answer is:
poetic
'symbolic' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'cite new river previously' is the wordplay.
'new' indicates an anagram.
'river' becomes 'Po' (Italian river).
'previously' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'cite' anagrammed gives 'etic'.
'etic' after 'po' is 'POETIC'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for poetic that I've seen before include "Imaginative; like verse" , "Ice pot (anag.)" , "Expressed in verse" , "Characterized by romantic imagery" , "lines?" .)