figurative

adjective

ˈfi-g(y)ə-rə-tiv How to pronounce figurative (audio)
Definition of figurativenext
as in metaphoric
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another the figurative use of "allergy" to mean "a feeling of dislike"

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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 figurative If that’s the case, their VC investors could get blown up—hopefully just in the figurative sense. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 Also, the figurative paintings hanging in the ground-floor corridor, by Portuguese artist Leonor Trindade Sousa, are for sale. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026 More of his sculptures, some figurative and others abstract, are set outdoors in the surrounding park-like grounds. — Carolyn Heller, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 The central theme was the figurative — and literal — significance of passing the ball, including asking audience members to ponder what their passing game is like and the ramifications of being a ball hog. — Vahe Gregorian july 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for figurative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figurative
  1. metaphoric
  2. figural
  3. symbolic
Adjective
  • Lush layers of melody and instrumentation submerges the listener in both metaphoric thought and shifting moods.
    — Lina Lecaro, SPIN, 18 Aug. 2026
  • These forces could be imagined as two beings and, by metaphoric extension, as male and female.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of metaphoric
Adjective
  • From figural bakers to upgraded pans, the new collection takes fall baking to a whole other level.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Display of a walking staff with a figural head and wooden ladles reveal a history of carving among the cultures Lewis was raised in.
    — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of figural
Adjective
  • Once a name is tied to an address, the gap between symbolic hostility and a physical approach narrows, pulling family members, staff and neighbours into the exposure too.
    — Control Risks, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The film’s observational intensity yields a form of symbolic realism that highlights both the action and its import—both the drama and the ideas and systems that undergird it.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of symbolic

Browse Nearby Words

figural
figurative
figure
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Cite this Entry

“Figurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figurative. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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