figurative
adjective
Lewis Mumford
Did you know?
Words and phrases can have both literal and figurative meanings, and we all use words with both kinds of meanings every day of our lives. We can literally close the door to a room, or we can figuratively close the door to further negotiations—that is, refuse to take part in them. Figurative language includes figures of speech, such as similes ("she's been like a sister to me") and metaphors ("a storm of protest"). And sometimes it's hard to tell whether a phrase is literal or figurative: If I say I "picked up" a little Spanish in Mexico, is that literal or figurative? You've probably noticed that lots of the definitions in this book show both a literal meaning (often something physical) and a figurative meaning (often nonphysical).
Examples of figurative in a Sentence
Julie Plec, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025
Even fewer contain figurative imagery on their walls.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 13 Feb. 2025
Formed in 2007 during an era of political upheaval, the group looked to escape to their own figurative island, drawing name inspiration from the Hindu epic of Ramayana, a tale where good triumphs over evil.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2025
These new figurative works were just as blindingly direct as before.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for figurative
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Cite this Entry
“Figurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figurative. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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figurative
adjective
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