What does "figuratively" mean?
In a figurative manner.
Figuratively
adv
adv ·5 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: In a figurative manner.
- Grammar: figuratively is listed as adv.
- Nearest alternatives: allegorically, as it were, idiomatically, metaphorically.
- Useful contrasts: actually, literally, overliterally.
- Usage evidence: After the botched gallbladder surgery, the patient was filled with bile, both figuratively and literally.
How to use "figuratively"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "figuratively" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "figuratively" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "figuratively" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "figuratively" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "figuratively" is acting as adv in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "allegorically" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "figuratively", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adverb
- 1 In a figurative manner.
"TAIWAN, or Chinese Formosa, is considered a Foo or district of the province of Fokien, and is governed by a Taoutai extraordinary, who, though responsible to the provincial viceroy, possesses the privilege of memorialising the Throne direct. “The district of Taiwan,” says the Chinese Government Chart, of which a copy was supplied to me by the Formosan authorities, “is bounded in the rear by mountains, and in front by the sea. The ancestral hills of Formosa derive their origin from the Woo-hoo-mun (Five Tiger Gate), the entrance to Foochow, whence they glided across the sea. In the ocean towards the east are two places called Tungkwan (Damp Limit) and Pih-mow (White Acre), which mark the spots where the dragons of the Formosan hills emerged. These sacred reptiles had pierced unseen the depths of ocean, and announcing their ascent to the surface by throwing up the bluff at Kelung-head, by a number of violent contortions heaved up the regular series of hills, valleys, and plains that extend north and south in varied undulations for the space of 1000 leagues (applied figuratively). The mountain-peaks are too multitudinous to enumerate, and the geography of the island too comprehensive to take into present consideration ; we will therefore confine ourselves to a few general remarks. In rear of the hills, eastward, flows the ocean ; facing them, to the westward, is the sea ; and between lies the prefecture of Taiwan.”"
- 2 Used to indicate that what follows is to be taken as a figure of speech, not literally.
"Figuratively, the cat was out of the bag."
Adverb
- 1 in a figurative sense wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"After the botched gallbladder surgery, the patient was filled with bile, both figuratively and literally."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "figuratively"?
Common synonyms include: allegorically, as it were, idiomatically, metaphorically, more first-language idioms, most quantum physics.
How do you use "figuratively" in a sentence?
After the botched gallbladder surgery, the patient was filled with bile, both figuratively and literally.
Etymology
From figurative + -ly.