Nearby Words
adjective
1.
of the nature of or involving a figure of speech, especially a metaphor; metaphorical and not literal, as in figurative language.
2.
metaphorically so called: His remark was a figurative boomerang.
3.
abounding in or fond of figures of speech: Elizabethan poetry is highly figurative.
4.
representing by means of a figure or likeness, as in drawing or sculpture.
5.
representing by a figure or emblem; emblematic.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin figūrātīvus (see figurate, -ive); replacing Middle English figuratif < Middle French
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin figūrātīvus (see figurate, -ive); replacing Middle English figuratif < Middle French
Related forms
fig·ur·a·tive·ly, adverb
fig·ur·a·tive·ness, noun
non·fig·ur·a·tive, adjective
non·fig·ur·a·tive·ly, adverb
non·fig·ur·a·tive·ness, noun
EXPANDsem·i·fig·ur·a·tive, adjective
sem·i·fig·ur·a·tive·ly, adverb
sem·i·fig·ur·a·tive·ness, noun
un·fig·ur·a·tive, adjective
un·fig·ur·a·tive·ly, adverb
un·fig·ur·a·tive·ness, noun
COLLAPSESynonyms
3. ornate, ornamental, flowery, elaborate, florid, grandiloquent.
3. ornate, ornamental, flowery, elaborate, florid, grandiloquent.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To Figuratively
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Figuratively
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Example Sentences
- It can throw one's whole life out of kilter, literally and figuratively.
- Nobody wants to enroll at a college where admitted students only figuratively attend, that's for sure.
- On closer inspection it wasn't in the literal sense, figuratively though.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
figurative
late 14c., from Fr. figuratif, from L.L. figurativus, from figurare (see figure). Of speech, language, etc., "involving figures of speech," from 1845. Related: Figuratively
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
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