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
Examples of allegorical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What was your process in deciding how to write about an enormous—because surreal—event like a body switch, in terms of how much to explain and how much to leave to interpretive and perhaps allegorical reading?
—
Hazlitt, 20 Sep. 2023
When Marjorie Taylor Greene wore a white coat with a fur collar while heckling the president during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, many on social media saw Cruella de Vil — but Greene seems to have been aiming for something a little more allegorical.
—Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023
The most striking effect comes courtesy of Santa Fe: at the outset, the allegorical figure of La Musica is sitting in a hospital bed atop a domelike hill, watching the sun go down over distant mountains.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
The allegorical film, beautifully shot in black-and-white by ace cinematographer Ed Lachman, stars revered 87-year-old Chilean actor Jaime Vadell in the role of Pinochet, who in reality died at the age of 91 in 2006, unpunished and rich.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 29 Aug. 2023
Season 3, in particular, switched focus between an arc about Alfred and company’s European tour and a series of allegorical, anthology-style episodes that featured the main cast little or not at all.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2022
These are not allegorical trees that stand for some human quality.
—Hazlitt, 26 July 2023
Cole had made his home in the Catskills, and flourished as a painter devoted to the scenery of the Northeast, as well as dramatic allegorical series and architectural fantasies.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 24 July 2023
The original text is a sprawling dream narrative in which a figure known as the Lover, having become enamored of a rose, converses with dozens of allegorical figures, including the God of Love, Lady Reason, and Shame.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023
See More
Hazlitt, 20 Sep. 2023
When Marjorie Taylor Greene wore a white coat with a fur collar while heckling the president during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, many on social media saw Cruella de Vil — but Greene seems to have been aiming for something a little more allegorical.
—Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023
The most striking effect comes courtesy of Santa Fe: at the outset, the allegorical figure of La Musica is sitting in a hospital bed atop a domelike hill, watching the sun go down over distant mountains.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
The allegorical film, beautifully shot in black-and-white by ace cinematographer Ed Lachman, stars revered 87-year-old Chilean actor Jaime Vadell in the role of Pinochet, who in reality died at the age of 91 in 2006, unpunished and rich.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 29 Aug. 2023
Season 3, in particular, switched focus between an arc about Alfred and company’s European tour and a series of allegorical, anthology-style episodes that featured the main cast little or not at all.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2022
These are not allegorical trees that stand for some human quality.
—Hazlitt, 26 July 2023
Cole had made his home in the Catskills, and flourished as a painter devoted to the scenery of the Northeast, as well as dramatic allegorical series and architectural fantasies.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 24 July 2023
The original text is a sprawling dream narrative in which a figure known as the Lover, having become enamored of a rose, converses with dozens of allegorical figures, including the God of Love, Lady Reason, and Shame.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'allegorical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near allegorical
Cite this Entry
“Allegorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allegorical. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on allegorical
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for allegorical
Nglish: Translation of allegorical for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of allegorical for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share