allegory

[al-uh-gawr-ee, -gohr-ee]

noun

plural

allegories 

1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.

2. a symbolical narrative.

   the allegory of Piers Plowman.

   Synonyms: parable, fable

3. emblem.

allegory

/ ˈælɪɡərɪ /

noun

1. a poem, play, picture, etc, in which the apparent meaning of the characters and events is used to symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual meaning

2. the technique or genre that this represents

3. use of such symbolism to illustrate truth or a moral

4. anything used as a symbol or emblem

allegory

1. A story that has a deeper or more general meaning in addition to its surface meaning. Allegories are composed of several symbols (see also symbol) or metaphors. For example, in The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan, the character named Christian struggles to escape from a bog or swamp. The story of his difficulty is a symbol of the difficulty of leading a good life in the “bog” of this world. The “bog” is a metaphor or symbol of life's hardships and distractions. Similarly, when Christian loses a heavy pack that he has been carrying on his back, this symbolizes his freedom from the weight of sin that he has been carrying.

Other Word Forms

• allegorist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of allegory¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English allegorie, from Latin allēgoria, from Greek allēgoría, derivative of allēgoreîn “to speak so as to imply something else; speak allegorically,” equivalent to állos “other, another” + agoreúein “to speak (in an assembly), address, harangue,” a derivative of agorá; allo-, agora ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of allegory¹

C14: from Old French allegorie, from Latin allēgoria, from Greek, from allēgorein to speak figuratively, from allos other + agoreuein to make a speech in public, from agora a public gathering

Example Sentences

Shelley’s science-fiction tragedy works as an allegory for the perils of everything from artificial intelligence to biotechnology.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Instead, he draws from the writer’s letters and diaries, as well as the longer-form works like the barnyard political allegory “Animal Farm” and the dystopian novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Its roots lie in the medieval stonemasons' guilds, and members still meet in "lodges" to carry out secretive initiation rituals and ceremonies based on allegories such as the building of King Solomon's Temple.

Read more on BBC

The allegory is a tad thick: Humanity rots inside the gates, dignity stands tall outside.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

If I wrote this in a book in 1965 … if it got published at all, it would be published as an allegory, like Animal Farm,” he said.

Read more on Salon