allegorical

adjective al·le·gor·i·cal \ ˌa-lə-ˈgȯr-i-kəl , -ˈgär- \

Definition of allegorical

1 :of, relating to, or having the characteristics of allegory

allegorical paintings

allegorical meanings of images

allegorical symbols of our culture

2 :having hidden spiritual meaning that transcends the literal sense of a sacred text

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allegorically

play \-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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allegoricalness

play \-kəl-nəs\ noun

Recent Examples of allegorical from the Web

That nightmarish process fueled allegorical themes in George Orwell’s fictional Animal Farm and 1984.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "Our War against Memory," 22 Aug. 2017
These expressions were often cryptic and muted — snatches of poetry, allegorical quotes — but still, the censors responded in force.

— jonathan kaiman, latimes.com, "Chinese Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo's death sparked an outpouring of grief online. Then came the censors," 14 July 2017
While The Killing of a Sacred Deer may have some political or sociological messages embedded in spots, Happy End is decidedly allegorical.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman Face an Unthinkably Horrible Decision in The Killing of a Sacred Deer," 22 May 2017
While The Killing of a Sacred Deer may have some political or sociological messages embedded in spots, Happy End is decidedly allegorical.

— richard lawson, VanityFair.com, "Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman Face an Unthinkably Horrible Decision in The Killing of a Sacred Deer," 22 May 2017
Drivas wants visitors to slow down and let the allegorical meaning of the experiment sink in.

— colleen barry, chicagotribune.com, "World's oldest contemporary art fair taps artistic angst amid rising nationalism," 12 May 2017
In Season 2, Riley moves into the role previously occupied by Angelica (Daryl Hannah), the allegorical ‘mother’ of the cluster who protects and unites them all, driving the action and gathering the information that ultimately brings them together.

— vanityfair.com, "Sense8 Season 2: Tuppence Middleton Explains That Stirring Ending," 5 May 2017
In Season 2, Riley moves into the role previously occupied by Angelica (Daryl Hannah), the allegorical ‘mother’ of the cluster who protects and unites them all, driving the action and gathering the information that ultimately brings them together.

— ella donald, HWD, "Sense8 Season 2: Tuppence Middleton Explains That Stirring Ending," 5 May 2017
Not that the 20th century mystic and artist is obscure here – among Russia's cultured classes, he is well known for his visionary Tibetan landscapes and spiritually allegorical art.

— nick holdsworth, The Christian Science Monitor, "How an art museum in Russia became the target of Kremlin police raids," 3 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allegorical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of allegorical

see allegory

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First Known Use: 1528

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Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

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allegorically

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allegorically

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