Special multiserial algebras are quotients of symmetric special multiserial algebras

•Recall of the definitions of special multiserial and almost gentle algebras.•Introduction of the new notions of defining pairs and algebras defined by cycles.•Proof that every symmetric special multiserial algebra is isomorphic to an algebra defined by cycles.•Introduction of two functions determining the unique predecessor and successor of an element in a special multiserial algebra if they exist.•Proof that every special multiserial algebra is a quotient of a symmetric special multiserial algebra.

In this paper we give a new definition of symmetric special multiserial algebras in terms of defining cycles. As a consequence, we show that every special multiserial algebra is a quotient of a symmetric special multiserial algebra.