"figuratively" meaning in English

See figuratively in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

Forms: more figuratively [comparative], most figuratively [superlative]
Etymology: figurative + -ly Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|figurative|ly}} figurative + -ly Head templates: {{en-adv}} figuratively (comparative more figuratively, superlative most figuratively)
  1. (manner) In a figurative manner. Synonyms: nonliterally, literally Translations (in a figurative manner): figurativament (Catalan), 比喻地 (bǐyùde) (Chinese Mandarin), obrazně (Czech), figuurlijk (Dutch), kuvaannollisesti (Finnish), figurément (French), ხატოვნად (xaṭovnad) (Georgian), მხატვრულად (mxaṭvrulad) (Georgian), მეტაფორულად (meṭaporulad) (Georgian), გადატანითი მნიშვნელობით (gadaṭaniti mnišvnelobit) (Georgian), bildlich (German), figürlich (German), képletesen (Hungarian), átvitt értelemben (Hungarian), figūrātīvē (Latin), tropicē (Latin), overført betydning (Norwegian Bokmål), billedlig (Norwegian Bokmål), biletleg (Norwegian Nynorsk), overført tydning (Norwegian Nynorsk), przenośnie (Polish), w przenośni (Polish), figurativamente (Portuguese), (în mod) figurat (Romanian), метафори́чески (metaforíčeski) (Russian), о́бразно (óbrazno) (Russian), фигура́льно (figurálʹno) (Russian), figuradamente (Spanish), en sentido figurado (Spanish), figurativamente (Spanish), bildligt (Swedish), mecazen (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-figuratively-en-adv-en:in_a_nonliteral_way Topics: manner Disambiguation of 'in a figurative manner': 97 3
  2. (as a sentence adverb) Used to indicate that what follows is to be taken as a figure of speech, not literally. Tags: as a sentence adverb
    Sense id: en-figuratively-en-adv-en:sentence_adverbially
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Coordinate_terms: as it were, metaphorically, metonymically, synecdochically

Download JSON data for figuratively meaning in English (7.4kB)

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "literally"
    }
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "as it were"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "metaphorically"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "metonymically"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "synecdochically"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "figurative",
        "3": "ly"
      },
      "expansion": "figurative + -ly",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "figurative + -ly",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more figuratively",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most figuratively",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "figuratively (comparative more figuratively, superlative most figuratively)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1864, Robert Swinhoe, “Notes on the Island of Formosa.”, in The Journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London, volume XXXIV, London: John Murray, published 1865, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6",
          "text": "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.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "1897 Easton's Bible Dictionary available on Wikisource\nShepherd A word naturally of frequent occurrence in Scripture. […] This word is used figuratively to represent the relation of rulers to their subjects and of God to his people."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In a figurative manner."
      ],
      "id": "en-figuratively-en-adv-en:in_a_nonliteral_way",
      "links": [
        [
          "figurative",
          "figurative"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(manner) In a figurative manner."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:in a nonliteral way"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nonliterally"
        },
        {
          "word": "literally"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "manner"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "figurativament"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bǐyùde",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "比喻地"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "obrazně"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "figuurlijk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "kuvaannollisesti"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "figurément"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "xaṭovnad",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "ხატოვნად"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "mxaṭvrulad",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "მხატვრულად"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "meṭaporulad",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "მეტაფორულად"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "gadaṭaniti mnišvnelobit",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "გადატანითი მნიშვნელობით"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "bildlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "figürlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "képletesen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "átvitt értelemben"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "figūrātīvē"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "tropicē"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "overført betydning"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "billedlig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "biletleg"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "overført tydning"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "przenośnie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "w przenośni"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "figurativamente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "(în mod) figurat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "metaforíčeski",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "метафори́чески"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "óbrazno",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "о́бразно"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "figurálʹno",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "фигура́льно"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "figuradamente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "en sentido figurado"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "figurativamente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "bildligt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "in a figurative manner",
          "word": "mecazen"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Figuratively, the cat was out of the bag.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to indicate that what follows is to be taken as a figure of speech, not literally."
      ],
      "id": "en-figuratively-en-adv-en:sentence_adverbially",
      "links": [
        [
          "sentence adverb",
          "sentence adverb"
        ],
        [
          "figure of speech",
          "figure of speech#English"
        ],
        [
          "literally",
          "literally#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(as a sentence adverb) Used to indicate that what follows is to be taken as a figure of speech, not literally."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:sentence-adverbially"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "as a sentence adverb"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "figuratively"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "literally"
    }
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "word": "as it were"
    },
    {
      "word": "metaphorically"
    },
    {
      "word": "metonymically"
    },
    {
      "word": "synecdochically"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "figurative",
        "3": "ly"
      },
      "expansion": "figurative + -ly",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "figurative + -ly",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more figuratively",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most figuratively",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "figuratively (comparative more figuratively, superlative most figuratively)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1864, Robert Swinhoe, “Notes on the Island of Formosa.”, in The Journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London, volume XXXIV, London: John Murray, published 1865, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6",
          "text": "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.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "1897 Easton's Bible Dictionary available on Wikisource\nShepherd A word naturally of frequent occurrence in Scripture. […] This word is used figuratively to represent the relation of rulers to their subjects and of God to his people."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In a figurative manner."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "figurative",
          "figurative"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(manner) In a figurative manner."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:in a nonliteral way"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "nonliterally"
        },
        {
          "word": "literally"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "manner"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Figuratively, the cat was out of the bag.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to indicate that what follows is to be taken as a figure of speech, not literally."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sentence adverb",
          "sentence adverb"
        ],
        [
          "figure of speech",
          "figure of speech#English"
        ],
        [
          "literally",
          "literally#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(as a sentence adverb) Used to indicate that what follows is to be taken as a figure of speech, not literally."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:sentence-adverbially"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "as a sentence adverb"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "figurativament"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bǐyùde",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "比喻地"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "obrazně"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "figuurlijk"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "kuvaannollisesti"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "figurément"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "xaṭovnad",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "ხატოვნად"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "mxaṭvrulad",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "მხატვრულად"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "meṭaporulad",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "მეტაფორულად"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "gadaṭaniti mnišvnelobit",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "გადატანითი მნიშვნელობით"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "bildlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "figürlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "képletesen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "átvitt értelemben"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "figūrātīvē"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "tropicē"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "overført betydning"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "billedlig"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "biletleg"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "overført tydning"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "przenośnie"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "w przenośni"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "figurativamente"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "(în mod) figurat"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "metaforíčeski",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "метафори́чески"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "óbrazno",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "о́бразно"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "figurálʹno",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "фигура́льно"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "figuradamente"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "en sentido figurado"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "figurativamente"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "bildligt"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "in a figurative manner",
      "word": "mecazen"
    }
  ],
  "word": "figuratively"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-03-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-03-01 using wiktextract (68773ab and 5f6ddbb). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.