Allegorical: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when talking about something that represents a deeper, often moral or political meaning through characters and events.

• The novel is highly allegorical, portraying the struggle between good and evil.
• Many biblical stories are allegorical and carry spiritual lessons.

Used when referring to something that represents or stands for something else, often an abstract idea.

• The dove is a symbolic representation of peace.
• Lighting candles is symbolic of remembrance and hope.

Used to describe language that uses figures of speech and does not have its usual literal meaning.

• When he said he's drowning in work, he was being figurative.
• The poet's figurative language paints vivid images in the reader's mind.

Used to describe something that serves as a typical example or symbol of a particular quality or group.

• The council member is seen as representative of the community's interests.
• This painting is representative of the artist's early work.

Used when referring to a story, poem, or picture that reveals a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

• The book is an allegorical tale about the consequences of war.
• His paintings are often described as allegorical.

Used when something represents or stands for something else, particularly an idea or concept.

• Doves are symbolic of peace.
• The ceremony was full of symbolic gestures.

Applied when a word or expression is used in a way that is different from the usual meaning, often using metaphors and comparisons.

• He spoke in a figurative language that was hard to understand.
• The term 'storm' is used in a figurative sense to describe his mood.

Used to describe art that aims to represent actual objects or subjects from reality.

• The gallery featured representational art from the 19th century.
• Her work is more representational than abstract.