metaphorical

American

[met-uh-fawr-i-kuhl, -for-] / ˌmɛt əˈfɔr ɪ kəl, -ˈfɒr- /

Also metaphoric

adjective

involving, invoking, or intended to be taken as a metaphor, something used symbolically to represent something else, suggesting a comparison or resemblance.

Our foreign policy blunder has given the insurgents a metaphorical green light to engage in violent tactics in pursuit of their imperial ambitions.

Other Word Forms

hypermetaphoric adjective
hypermetaphorical adjective
metaphorically adverb
metaphoricalness noun
nonmetaphoric adjective
nonmetaphorical adjective
semimetaphoric adjective
semimetaphorical adjective
submetaphoric adjective
submetaphorical adjective

Etymology

Origin of metaphorical

First recorded in 1560–70; metaphor ( def. ) + -ical ( def. )

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.

But with oil returning to the $100 precipice, private credit markets beset by liquidity concerns, and bond investors back on inflation watch, it may not be long before the metaphorical dams start leaking.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

He later apologized on X, claiming he had "badly used the expression... in a metaphorical way to mean 'fooling around'".

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

It’s “a metaphorical escape from the Great Depression to an Edenic place where the rules of supply and demand do not apply.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Sophie, especially in that night, the mask makes her brave and courageous; when she takes off the physical mask, that’s when the metaphorical mask actually comes into play.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

“You choose your behaviors based on their metaphorical resonances ...” I said.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023