allegorical

American  

[al-i-gawr-i-kuhl, -gor-] / ˌæl ɪˈgɔr ɪ kəl, -ˈgɒr- /

Also allegoric

adjective

1. consisting of or pertaining to allegory; of the nature of or containing allegory; figurative.

   an allegorical poem;

   an allegorical meaning.

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allegorical British  

/ ˌælɪˈɡɒrɪkəl /

adjective

1. used in, containing, or characteristic of allegory

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Other Word Forms

• allegorically adverb
• allegoricalness noun
• nonallegoric adjective
• nonallegorical adjective
• nonallegorically adverb
• semiallegoric adjective
• semiallegorical adjective
• semiallegorically adverb
• unallegorical adjective
• unallegorically adverb

Etymology

Origin of allegorical

First recorded in 1520–30; equivalent to Late Latin allēgoric(us) (from Greek allēgorikós; 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.

Example Sentences

It makes for an intriguingly allegorical work that is fascinating in concept though often static in execution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 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

Smith has trained a live camera on a raised arm, finger pointed up, from a 1907 allegorical figure by Edward V. Valentine called “Vindicatrix,” also known as “Miss Confederacy.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

Second, these were richly allegorical stories with plenty of incident and emotional impact but without extravagant, over-egged operatic acting to embarrass the English.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• figurative
• metaphorical