allegorical

adjective

al·​le·​gor·​i·​cal ˌa-lə-ˈgȯr-i-kəl How to pronounce allegorical (audio)
-ˈgär-
1
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of allegory
allegorical paintings
allegorical meanings of images
allegorical symbols of our culture
2
: having hidden spiritual meaning that transcends the literal sense of a sacred text
allegorically adverb
allegoricalness noun

Examples of allegorical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The allegorical painting is routinely interpreted as a message that death is always just around the corner. Ivan Amato, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025 McCrae, too, approaches Dante’s allegorical vision with an urgency derived from a struggle that collapses the personal and the social, until the metaphysical realm seems the only possible stage. Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 The allegorical imagery partly found its allure from costume designer Lisy Christl. Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025 The music video is a visual interpretation of lyrics that seemingly have Abel addressing a child, from the perspective of a parent, with an allegorical title referencing the Ethiopian Red Terror, a period of violet political repression that resulted in the deaths of thousands in the late ’70s. Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 1 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for allegorical

Word History

Etymology

allegoric "allegorical" (borrowed from Late Latin allēgoricus, borrowed from Greek allēgorikós, from allēgoría allegory + -ikos -ic entry 1) + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of allegorical was in 1528

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Allegorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allegorical. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on allegorical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!