allegory

noun

ˈa-lə-ˌgȯr-ē How to pronounce allegory (audio)
Definition of allegorynext
as in parable
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life Dr. Seuss's story "The Sneetches" is a telling allegory about tolerance for people's differences

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of allegory His story is an allegory for refereeing football matches. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 9 June 2026 In the span of 25 minutes and approximately 2,900 juggles, Lea Gentry wrote her own allegory. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 June 2026 Sci-fi stories about alien invasions have often functioned as political allegories for anxieties around empire and immigration, Lechuga says. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 3 June 2026 While a campus novel may not seem like the most logical follow-up, Williams' latest — which centers on the friendship between a misanthropic professor's assistant and a student — is another pitch-black allegory told in gothic, obliterative prose. — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for allegory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allegory
  1. parable
  2. fable
  3. tale
Noun
  • Mandela’s life and South Africa’s history should never be flattened into a corporate parable.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • The pair’s mysterious interactions in the early chapters give way to a series of parables of doubt and belief, in which a rational character is confronted by an irrational event—and immediately convinced of its absolute truth.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Definition of parable
Noun
  • The Little Prince is one of those books that is thought of as both a philosophical fable for children and adults.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 17 July 2026
  • Explore the Wild West from the back of a rickety wagon as characters share famed fables about Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, Pecos Bill, John Henry and Hekeke.
    — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of fable
Noun
  • At 55, the Academy Award–winning actor had to train hard and eat right to maintain the body of a hero worthy of a generation-spanning epic tale.
    — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 20 July 2026
  • But even within the movie’s powerful melodrama sits a secondary tale of fascistic process, one that speaks truth to power through implication and whisper.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 July 2026
Definition of tale

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allegories
allegory
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Cite this Entry

“Allegory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allegory. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on allegory

Nglish: Translation of allegory for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about allegory

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