What symbol is represented by the famous yellow McDonald's logo?

The famous yellow McDonald's logo represents the Golden Arches.

The arches began as architectural features, not merely as a graphic mark. Early McDonald's restaurants used large yellow arches on their buildings to make the restaurants visible from the road. The two arches were later combined visually into the letter M, creating one of the world's most recognizable corporate symbols.

McDonald's introduced a more standardized Golden Arches logo in the 1960s. The design became closely associated with the company's restaurants, packaging, advertising, and roadside signs. The arches are often confused with the company's earlier building architecture, but the modern logo is a stylized letter formed from two arches.

The Golden Arches also helped McDonald's build a consistent identity as the chain expanded internationally. Even where advertising language changes between countries, the yellow arches usually remain immediately recognizable.