metaphorical

American  

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

Also metaphoric

adjective

1. 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

Gravy wasn’t always metaphorical; it was just dinner.

From Salon

He's poured a metaphorical can of Australian beer over the novel by converting Tolstoy's prose into a lingo that wouldn't sound out of place in the popular Aussie sitcom Kath & Kim.

From BBC

He remained a symbol of resistance to Hichilema’s austerity measures—one reason there’s a metaphorical match being played over his literal legacy.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is a question being asked by millions of Americans on both sides of the metaphorical tracks.

From MarketWatch

This is a question being asked by millions of Americans on both sides of the metaphorical tracks.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• allegorical
• descriptive
• metaphoric
• symbolic