figurative
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of or involving a figure of speech, especially a metaphor; metaphorical and not literal.
The word "head" has several figurative senses, as in "She's the head of the company."
- Synonyms:
- symbolic, metaphorical
-
metaphorically so called.
His remark was a figurative boomerang.
-
abounding in or fond of figures of speech.
Elizabethan poetry is highly figurative.
- Synonyms:
- grandiloquent, florid, elaborate, flowery, ornamental, ornate
-
representing by means of a figure or likeness, as in drawing or sculpture.
-
representing by a figure or emblem; emblematic.
adjective
-
of the nature of, resembling, or involving a figure of speech; not literal; metaphorical
-
using or filled with figures of speech
-
representing by means of an emblem, likeness, figure, etc
-
(in painting, sculpture, etc) of, relating to, or characterized by the naturalistic representation of the external world
Other Word Forms
- figuratively adverb
- figurativeness noun
- nonfigurative adjective
- nonfigurativeness noun
- semifigurative adjective
- semifigurativeness noun
- unfigurative adjective
- unfigurativeness noun
Etymology
Origin of figurative
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English figuratif, fygurative, from Old French figuratif, from Late Latin figūrātīvus; figure ( def. ), -ative
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.
Although there are no figurative features at all, they appear to be communing among themselves and with you.
From BBC
A boy with one eye sees the world differently than everyone else, but it didn’t take long for Mike Burry to see his literal distinction in more figurative terms.
From Literature
Of greater success are her more saturated works that crank up the figurative elements while also embracing more abstract settings.
These details are both important and relevant to the figurative subtweet Bravo is sending through “Zola.”
From Salon
He said the figurative “momma and daddy” are actually his fans, whose expectations he’s glad he’s fulfilled, even though they “don’t actually know each other” in real life.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions 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.
