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

Both figuratively and literally. —Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Distinct limestone formations called tufa stand out—literally and figuratively—at Mono Lake. —Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2026

Now, mega-events have a way of conjuring these kinds of issues, especially in literally and figuratively uncharted territory like this. —Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026

Fans from around the globe have descended on the United States for the FIFA World Cup, and few fanbases have made as much noise — literally and figuratively — as those supporting Scotland. —Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above