Allegorical

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌæl.ɪˈɡɔɹ.ɪ.kəl/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to narrative forms that use symbols to represent deeper meanings or concepts, often illustrating moral or philosophical lessons
2. Characterized by a storytelling approach that utilizes metaphorical figures and events to convey significant ideas beyond the literal context
3. Relating to a style of expression in literature or art that employs symbolic imagery to communicate complex themes or moral teachings

Etymology: Allegory itself traces back to Greek "allēgoria," from "allos" ("other") and "agoreuein" ("to speak in public"), so the core idea is saying one thing in order to mean another. The Greek noun was already a term of rhetoric and interpretation by the time Roman writers adopted it, and the Latin "allēgoricus" carried the adjectival sense into the language that later became English. The adjective is a plain formation: "allegory" plus the suffix "-ical," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to" or "having the nature of" something. English writers therefore had a ready-made way to describe any work whose surface story points to a deeper meaning, from the sermons of medieval preachers to the political fables of later centuries.

Synonyms: symbolic, figurative, metaphorical

Antonyms: literal