nonliteral

Definition of nonliteralnext

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 nonliteral In addition, neurodivergent women, such as those with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, may be excluded from whisper networks because information is often shared using indirect or nonliteral language. Carrie Ann Johnson, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2023 Thirsty, even, in its most nonliteral meaning. Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2021 The New York Times is concerned about its subscribers’ intolerance for opposing views, not about nonliteral terminology about opposing pages. Nicholas Clairmont, Washington Examiner, 29 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonliteral
Adjective
  • The white dress, designed by Cavanagh Baker and handmade in her New York City atelier, is a veritable riot of lace.
    Alfredo Toriello, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Working with exhibition designer Cécile Degos, Anderson transformed Gagosian’s storefront space into a veritable life-size Cornell box, inviting visitors into Cornell’s studio in the basement of his family’s home on Utopia Parkway in Queens.
    Stephanie Sporn, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Stripped to their symbolic essence, the erotics of Frankenstein are about the body as meat, electrified by carnal pleasure and unencumbered by the soul.
    Katie Rife, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Russian forces appear to be on the brink of finally seizing the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a symbolic victory that President Vladimir Putin has been pursuing for 21 months at an increasingly heavy cost.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • With its metaphorical feet held over the allegorical fire by NASA, SpaceX has released a new, simplified plan to build a lander to put US astronauts back on the Moon now that the competition for the spacecraft has been reopened due to delays.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Farrell’s turn feels less like a full-blooded human and more like just one part of a complex equation — which is in keeping with the highly structured and allegorical nature of Allen’s film.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nonliteral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonliteral. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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