BACK TO allegory

allegory vs. metaphor

allegory

[ al-uh-gawr-ee, -gohr-ee ]
noun,
  1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.
  2. a symbolical narrative: the allegory of Piers Plowman.
  3. emblem (def. 3).

metaphor

[ met-uh-fawr, -fer ]
noun
  1. a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”
  2. something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else; emblem; symbol.

Compare More Commonly Confused Words