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

In the high-octane racing drama produced by and co-starring Brad Pitt, the British actor steps into the driver’s seat—literally and figuratively—as a rising Formula 1 star navigating life on and off the track. —Okla Jones, Essence, 27 June 2025

Explain what that literally and figuratively means. —Frank Langfitt, NPR, 22 June 2025

That last sentence being the potential magic bullet, literally and figuratively, for Newsom in taking charge again of the state’s troops. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 June 2025

Wealthy people tend to have more space, literally and figuratively. —Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above