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

These trump cards depicted allegorical figures such as Justice, Temperance, Death, and The World, reflecting Renaissance ideals of virtue, morality, and cosmic order. —Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026

While design-minded sleuths can pick out these details and assign allegorical meaning to them, there are other subtle hints throughout the show as well. —Alison McDermott, Architectural Digest, 19 Feb. 2026

The opening scene, which hints at the allegorical nature of the story (written by Çatak, Ayda Meryem Çatak and Enis Köstepen), features respected theater actress Derya (Özgü Namal) on stage before a packed audience. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026

Maybe this skin-crawler is a creepy, allegorical drama about delusional paranoia. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026

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