figuratively

adverb

fig·​u·​ra·​tive·​ly ˈfi-g(y)ə-rə-tiv-lē 

: in a figurative way: such as

a

: with a meaning that is metaphorical rather than literal

Speaking of panic, I recently ran into (figuratively, not literally) a friend who was ranting about giant "bees" digging holes in his lawn.

—Ron Kujawski

Poor small-town America. During the last gasps of this fevered election, pollsters, zealous campaign foot soldiers and reporters are kicking down its doors, figuratively speaking …

—Doug Colligan

b

: in a way intended to represent the form or figure of something or someone having objective reality : in a way that is not purely abstract

Franz Kline, who had always painted figuratively, made his breakthrough in 1949 when he looked at one of his sketches in a Bell-Opticon magnifier, and saw the rough, thrusting horizontals and verticals that became the basis of his new abstract style.

—Calvin Tomkins

Examples of figuratively in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, the Grammy-winning singer is stepping into a new era—literally and figuratively—with a fresh campaign alongside Foot Locker that’s all about comfort, community and showing up as your full self. —Oumou Fofana, Essence, 5 May 2025

However, traveling to far away destinations can often come with a price, both literally and figuratively. —Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

Notably when things get both literally and figuratively dark. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025

With hordes of German and Japanese investors figuratively waving wads of marks and yen at anyone offering dollars, the value of the U.S. dollar set new records. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above