allegorical

adjective

al·​le·​gor·​i·​cal ˌa-lə-ˈgȯr-i-kəl 

-ˈgär-

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

allegorically

ˌa-lə-ˈgȯr-i-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈgär-

adverb

allegoricalness

ˌa-lə-ˈgȯr-i-kəl-nəs 

-ˈgär-

noun

Examples of allegorical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The playwrights intended the drama as an allegorical parable for the age shaped by Wisconsin Senator Joe McCarthy. —Time, 10 July 2025

Agnes, draped in autumnal tweed and khaki, elevates her seminar into a kind of allegorical stage for academia. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 29 June 2025

This is apparent in his biblical, mythological and allegorical subjects alike. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025

For them, animals traditionally sacrificed, such as goats and chickens, served as allegorical figures for activists who endured sacrificial violence and suffering under apartheid. —Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

allegoric "allegorical" (borrowed from Late Latin allēgoricus, borrowed from Greek allēgorikós, from allēgoría allegory + -ikos -ic entry 1) + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for allegorical

• ahistorical
• metaphorical
• oratorical
• unhistorical
• historical
• rhetorical
• sociohistorical