figuratively

adverb

fig·​u·​ra·​tive·​ly ˈfi-g(y)ə-rə-tiv-lē How to pronounce figuratively (audio)
: in a figurative way: such as
a
: with a meaning that is metaphorical rather than literal
Speaking of panic, I recently ran into (figuratively, not literally) a friend who was ranting about giant "bees" digging holes in his lawn.Ron Kujawski
Poor small-town America. During the last gasps of this fevered election, pollsters, zealous campaign foot soldiers and reporters are kicking down its doors, figuratively speaking …Doug Colligan
b
: in a way intended to represent the form or figure of something or someone having objective reality : in a way that is not purely abstract
Franz Kline, who had always painted figuratively, made his breakthrough in 1949 when he looked at one of his sketches in a Bell-Opticon magnifier, and saw the rough, thrusting horizontals and verticals that became the basis of his new abstract style.Calvin Tomkins

Examples of figuratively in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The iPad Pro literally and figuratively dwarfs the iPad mini. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Here, nine ways to get your hands dirty (figuratively speaking) with some of the freshest, greenest vegetal perfumes around. Lori Keong, Allure, 7 Sep. 2024 At least so the scene at the New York Film Festival this weekend suggested, where on Sunday an unsettlingly large Eisenberg — Zooming in from Budapest — hovered literally and figuratively over the proceedings. Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2024 In the days after the Oct. 7 attack, Biden fervently embraced Netanyahu and Israel, literally and figuratively, calculating that unvarnished American support for the Jewish state would result in a willingness to accede to some American demands. Dan De Luce, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for figuratively 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'figuratively.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of figuratively was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near figuratively

Cite this Entry

“Figuratively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figuratively. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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