Unfigurative

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not involving the use of metaphors or figures of speech, this term refers to a literal representation that avoids symbolic meanings or interpretations
2. Characterizing an approach that stays true to direct expressions without employing any allegorical or metaphorical nuances
3. Describing language or expression that is straightforward and does not employ symbolic or figurative elements

Etymology: "Unfigurative" is about as plain as English word formation gets: the prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "figurative", which itself comes from "figure" (in its sense of a figure of speech, an expression that departs from the literal meaning) plus the suffix "-ative", forming an adjective. Put together, it describes language that is free of metaphor, saying exactly what it means. The word's interest lies mostly in its two halves. "Figurative" goes back to Latin "figurare", "to shape or form", from "figura", a shape or outline, and English applied it to language in the sense of words used in a deviant or ornamental way. "Un-" is one of the most productive prefixes in English, able to attach to almost any adjective, so "unfigurative" is a coinage that could be made on demand rather than one that was ever widely borrowed. It is a useful reminder that most negated adjectives in English are built this way and need no special history of their own.

Synonyms: literal, straightforward

Antonyms: figurative