figuratively
Americanadverb
-
in a way that involves or invokes a metaphor or figure of speech; metaphorically.
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated to remove darkness from our lives both literally and figuratively.
We figuratively envision personal space as an aura or a soap bubble.
-
by means of a figure, likeness, or emblem.
In art and literature, the former kingdom was often figuratively presented as a woman.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of figuratively
Compare meaning
How does figuratively compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The adverb figuratively describes something symbolic, not actual. If a friend invites you to tonight's concert but you already have plans with your family, you might say — figuratively — that your hands are tied. Something that's said figuratively isn't intended to be taken as the literal truth, but as a symbol of something, or as emphasis. Figures of speech are good examples of things people say figuratively, like "the book begged to be read," or "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" — not meant to be understood literally (you really don't want to eat that horse, do you?). The Latin word figurare, "to form or fashion," is the root of figuratively.
Vocabulary lists containing figuratively
Dear Martin
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Commonly Confused Words, List 2
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A Very Large Expanse of Sea
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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 survey begat headlines in the media, especially in finance-oriented publications like Fortune and Barron’s, that figuratively wrung their hands over the travails of the upper crust.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
They’re banking, literally and figuratively, on you being polite.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
That makes success in this music tricky, and for whatever reason the immensely talented Mr. Ólafsson and the Philharmonic seemed out of sync, at least figuratively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
For years, Fang Xinghai was the official whom many foreign investors called when they needed someone in Beijing who spoke their language—literally and figuratively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Looking down on her, literally and figuratively, I asked if she was enjoying the book.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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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.
