figuratively

adverb

fig·​u·​ra·​tive·​ly ˈfi-g(y)ə-rə-tiv-lē 

: 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 actress is aware that the film shows off — literally and figuratively — sides of her that audiences aren't used to, such as the aforementioned nudity that Moore feels is important to properly contextualize. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 May 2024

The housing markets in Florida and Texas were particularly hot—both figuratively and literally—during the pandemic. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 16 May 2024

But when beckoned by a staffer to take the place of one clumsy media buyer who’d just been figuratively killed by a replica of the series’ robot doll, Young-hee, this reporter demurred. —Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024

Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. —Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024

Interactive stories Lintel 25 is one of a handful of mirror-image inscriptions that were designed as interactive experiences, where ancient visitors could figuratively travel to the land beyond the looking glass. —James L. Fitzsimmons, The Conversation, 1 May 2024

Losing three of five toward the end of the regular season, the Eagles rebounded — literally and figuratively. —Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2024

After my mother abruptly left town to be with another man, my brother and I were left to clean up the mess, literally and figuratively. —Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 8 May 2024

Rather than the sky-high Manolos that her SATC character, Carrie Bradshaw, is known for, Parkers’s block heels reminded us of flats with a little lift that both literally and figuratively elevated her casual outfit. —Brittany Vanderbill, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above