symbol-value

(symbol-value symbol)

Returns the current value of the dynamic (global) variable named by symbol: the innermost dynamic binding -- a let of a special variable, a parameter named like one, progv -- when one is active, else the global value; an unbound name signals an unbound-variable naming it, and so does a special variable declared without a value ((defvar *x*)) outside every binding of it (see cell-error-name; on WASM a program with no catching form traps instead). Like Common Lisp's symbol-value, lexical bindings are invisible. t, nil and keywords evaluate to themselves. Use boundp to test first, and intern to build the name at runtime.

An unbound variable signals an error:

CL-USER> (symbol-value '*nope*)
The variable *nope* is unbound