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 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
  • System Speedup Pro is a veritable Swiss army knife of tools for optimizing and maintaining your PC.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
  • That evening, the artist performed one classic after another, donning her best stage outfits and transforming the concert hall into a veritable runway.
    — Blanche Marcel, Vanity Fair, 20 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The title poem takes the reader into the crosshairs of war’s violence, exploding euphemistic descriptions of its horrors.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 7 July 2026
Adjective
  • Were tactical arrangements sufficient without symbolic signaling, police training would not need to be so heady, their demeanor so heavy.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Carlson’s essay offers a deeper look at the elaborate symbolic language surrounding 22, A Million, including the meanings behind the album’s unusual song titles and iconography.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The original series used diverse crews and allegorical storytelling to champion inclusion, collaboration and optimism — tenents that continue today.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The half-dozen allegorical sculptures gathered in the new museum—The Lions, Liberty, Progress, Work, Peace, and Justice—were commissioned for Buenos Aires’s Palace of the Argentine National Congress in 1906.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 13 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Nonliteral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonliteral. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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