allegorical
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of allegorical
First recorded in 1520–30; equivalent to Late Latin allēgoric(us) (from Greek allēgorikós; see allegory, -ic) + -al 1
Explanation
The story about the dog who sees his reflection in a lake, thinks it's another dog, then drops his bone in the water trying to snatch the reflected bone, is allegorical. Allegorical means containing a moral or hidden meaning. Allegorical stories and plays use concrete ideas as symbols for deeper or layered meanings. Folk tales and fables are often allegorical. Visual art, like paintings, can also be allegorical, with religious or even political messages symbolized by painted figures. The Greek word for allegory, allegoria, comes from allos, "another," and agoreuein, "speak openly. So if you speak of one thing, but mean something else, that's allegorical.
Vocabulary lists containing allegorical
Rhetorical Devices
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Rhetorical Devices
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A Brief History of Time
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The soldiers are shadowed by an allegorical figure carrying poppies, symbolizing sleep—an analog, in the art of the time, for death—and a laurel branch symbolizing peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Jonas adds, “It’s allegorical in nature. What if I could just take this man and chain him up? It’s making that literal for us to watch. It’s about that female id deep inside of us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
The drawings emphasize the allegorical side of Ahab’s monomaniacal hunt, fixing the characters in expressive, statuesque postures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
For Zigmont, the dog is not only an allegorical concern, but also a truly practical one.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 9, 2025
A less allegorical symbol may be found under Atlas and Justice, on the floor of the Town Hall.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
