allegorical
/ˌæl.ɪˈɡɒr.ɪ.kəl/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
An allegorical story, image, or character has a hidden meaning. It uses people, events, or objects to represent ideas or moral lessons.
- The painting is allegorical, not just decorative.
- The novel uses allegorical characters to show greed.
- His speech was an allegorical warning about power.
Adinary Nuance
Allegorical is more specific than symbolic. A symbol suggests one idea, but an allegory builds a whole story or image around hidden meaning. It is also more literary than figurative, which can describe many kinds of indirect language. Writers use allegorical when the deeper message is planned and clearly built into the work.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- mang tính ngụ ngôn
- Spanish
- alegórico
- Chinese
- 寓言式的
- Japanese
- 寓意的な
- Korean
- 우의적인
Etymology
From Late Latin allegoricus, from Greek allegoria, meaning 'speaking otherwise'. The word entered English in the late Middle Ages through French and Latin.
Common phrases
an allegorical meaningan allegorical taleallegorical artan allegorical reading
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is allegorical the same as symbolic?
- Not exactly. Allegorical usually means a longer or fuller hidden meaning, while symbolic is broader and can be simpler.
- Is allegorical formal or academic?
- It is fairly formal. You will see it more in literature, art, and academic writing.
- How do I use allegorical in a sentence?
- Use it before a noun: 'an allegorical story', 'an allegorical painting', or 'allegorical characters'.
- Is allegorical common in everyday English?
- It is not very common in casual speech. People use it more when discussing books, films, and art.