figurative
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle French figuratif.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
figurative (comparative more figurative, superlative most figurative)
- Of use as a metaphor, simile, metonym or other figure of speech, as opposed to literal; using figures; as when saying that someone who eats more than they should is a pig or like a pig.
- 2005 May 1, “The Sea of Love”, in New York Times[1]:
- The lovers she seems to pursue with her figurative language in fact retreat under the barrage of similes, metaphors and fables.
- Metaphorically so called.
- With many figures of speech.
- Emblematic, symbolic; representative, exemplative
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
- This, they will say, was figurative, and served, by God's appointment, but for a time, to shadow out the true glory of a more divine sanctity.
- (art) Representing forms recognisable in life and clearly derived from real object sources, in contrast to abstract art.
- 1875-1886, John Addington Symonds, Renaissance in Italy
- They belonged to a nation dedicated to the figurative arts, and they wrote for a public familiar with painted form.
- 1875-1886, John Addington Symonds, Renaissance in Italy
Antonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
metaphorical; not literal
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metaphorically so called
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with many figures of speech
emblematic
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art
See also edit
Further reading edit
- “figurative”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “figurative”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “figurative”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “figurative”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- “figurative”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- figurative in Britannica Dictionary
- What is figurative language?, merriam-webster.com
- figurative in WordReference English Collocations
- Figurative art on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- Literal and figurative language on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
French edit
Pronunciation edit
- IPA(key): /fi.ɡy.ʁa.tiv/
- Homophone: figuratives
Adjective edit
figurative
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Adjective edit
figurative
- inflection of figurativ:
Italian edit
Adjective edit
figurative
Anagrams edit
Norwegian Bokmål edit
Adjective edit
figurative
Norwegian Nynorsk edit
Adjective edit
figurative