metaphorically

American  

[met-uh-fawr-ik-lee, -for-] / ˌmɛt əˈfɔr ɪk li, -ˈfɒr- /

adverb

1. in a way that constitutes a metaphor, a figure of speech that refers to one thing in terms of another, suggesting a resemblance between the two.

   The native Romani word “drakhalin,” whose literal meaning is “grapevine,” is often used metaphorically to mean the internet.

2. figuratively speaking; not literally.

   We are metaphorically on top of the world over his success and look forward to his return.

3. as a symbol or emblem representing something else.

   In various biblical contexts, salt is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, value, and purification.

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Other Word Forms

• nonmetaphorically adverb
• semimetaphorically adverb
• submetaphorically adverb

Etymology

Origin of metaphorically

metaphorical ( def. ) + -ly

Compare meaning

How does metaphorically compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• metaphorically vs. figuratively

Example Sentences

The tendrils of the tightly strung material connect, both physically and metaphorically, the wartime experiences documented in the photocopied pages scattered about, but they also bring to mind out-of-control cell growth and cancerous disease.

From The Wall Street Journal

But luckily for Prince Louis, the youngest royal at the Coronation had his sister Princess Charlotte to hold his hand, physically and metaphorically.

From BBC

“All those gods, before whoever they became, they were just children,” JR said, interested in metaphorically representing the possibilities of youth as divine.

From New York Times

Lest you think that they are speaking metaphorically, when we finally get to experience a snippet of the film, we hear a booming metallic voice shouting, “You awoke me from my hibernation!”

From New York Times

One letter said that the controversy represented “Edinburgh snobbery at its worst” and thanked her “for bringing some color into our city, both literally and metaphorically.”

From New York Times