NONLITERAL Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

nonliteral

adjective

Definition of nonliteral

as in veritable

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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 Jesus, who speaks in parables, not in dicta or dogmas, provides us with a primary instance of the power of the nonliteral tale. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 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 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

For the Joyce’s two-week Ballet Festival, Copeland brings together dancers including Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Alexandra Hutchinson and the Paris Opera Ballet’s Guillaume Diop (a veritable star).

— Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Multiple schools across three states will soon have their own veritable platoons of pepper-spraying drones to hunt down active shooters, The Washington Post reports, waiting to spring into action the moment they’re called on.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 30 July 2026

Definition of veritable

Adjective

The post was originally written in response to a Vox article warning millennials were unprepared for a coming eldercare crisis, and its resurgence this July coincided with the symbolic milestone of the first boomers turning 80.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Last week, the House extended a symbolic rebuke to Trump by approving a resolution to curb the war with a 214 to 208 vote.

— Tiago Ventura, Time, 31 July 2026

Definition of symbolic

Adjective

Depicting the rise and spectacular fall of an Anglo- and Euro-centric civilization, the series was originally presented as an allegorical warning about imperial expansion to the then-young nation.

— Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026
And most ephemeral but perhaps most affecting were the shows that say something about our country and culture through their nuanced and often allegorical storytelling.

— Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 June 2026

Definition of allegorical

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nonliquid

nonliteral

nonliterary

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“Nonliteral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonliteral. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of nonliteral

adjective

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