allegorical

adjective

al·​le·​gor·​i·​cal ˌa-lə-ˈgȯr-i-kəl How to pronounce allegorical (audio)
-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 adverb
allegoricalness noun

Examples of allegorical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The industrial workspace in the film functions as a compelling allegorical backdrop for broader societal issues. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2025 In the old allegorical star atlases, Virgo is holding a spike of wheat where Spica glows, evidently representing the harvest time which occurs in mid-October when the sun is passing that bright star. Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 May 2025 The Boucher Room By contrast, the Boucher Room, named for the set of allegorical paintings by the 18th-century French court painter François Boucher (1703-1770) that cover its walls, is exactly as Helen’s mother, Adelaide, knew it. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025 Maybe that’s more blessing than curse in our age of baldly allegorical horror movies. A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for allegorical

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of allegorical was in 1528

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Cite this Entry

“Allegorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allegorical. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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