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
Maybe that’s more blessing than curse in our age of baldly allegorical horror movies.
—
A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
Coogler presents a provocatively Africanist view of Black American experience, and does so with exuberant inventiveness; the uncompromising political essence of his allegorical vision is expressed with aesthetic delight.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
Margaret Atwood’s dystopian allegorical novel didn’t over-explain the U.S.’ descent into fascist theocracy and thus left itself open to interpretation — so open that even American conservatives were able to claim it as a warning about Muslim fundamentalism.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Among the most devastating losses were a series of allegorical murals by the Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for allegorical
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
Coogler presents a provocatively Africanist view of Black American experience, and does so with exuberant inventiveness; the uncompromising political essence of his allegorical vision is expressed with aesthetic delight.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
Margaret Atwood’s dystopian allegorical novel didn’t over-explain the U.S.’ descent into fascist theocracy and thus left itself open to interpretation — so open that even American conservatives were able to claim it as a warning about Muslim fundamentalism.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
Among the most devastating losses were a series of allegorical murals by the Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for allegorical
Cite this Entry
“Allegorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allegorical. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share