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View synonyms for allegory

allegory

[ al-uh-gawr-ee, -gohr-ee ]

noun

, plural al·le·go·ries.
  1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.
  2. a symbolical narrative:

    the allegory of Piers Plowman.

    Synonyms: parable, fable



allegory

/ ˈælɪɡərɪ /

noun

  1. a poem, play, picture, etc, in which the apparent meaning of the characters and events is used to symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual meaning
  2. the technique or genre that this represents
  3. use of such symbolism to illustrate truth or a moral
  4. anything used as a symbol or emblem
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


allegory

  1. A story that has a deeper or more general meaning in addition to its surface meaning. Allegories are composed of several symbols (see also symbol ) or metaphors . For example, in The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan, the character named Christian struggles to escape from a bog or swamp. The story of his difficulty is a symbol of the difficulty of leading a good life in the “bog” of this world. The “bog” is a metaphor or symbol of life's hardships and distractions. Similarly, when Christian loses a heavy pack that he has been carrying on his back, this symbolizes his freedom from the weight of sin that he has been carrying.


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Derived Forms

  • ˈallegorist, noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of allegory1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English allegorie, from Latin allēgoria, from Greek allēgoría, derivative of allēgoreîn “to speak so as to imply something else; speak allegorically,” equivalent to állos “other, another” + agoreúein “to speak (in an assembly), address, harangue,” a derivative of agorá; allo-, agora 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of allegory1

C14: from Old French allegorie, from Latin allēgoria, from Greek, from allēgorein to speak figuratively, from allos other + agoreuein to make a speech in public, from agora a public gathering
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Compare Meanings

How does allegory compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a once-in-a-generation show, transforming supernatural teen pulp into an allegory for growing up and becoming a stronger, more complex and, in some ways, more wounded person than you ever thought you’d be.

From Time

That said, I don’t want to twist it into an allegory about leadership and collective sacrifice in times of crisis.

Defining dataTo understand what data is, and how to govern it, metaphors and allegories can be helpful.

It’s an allegory, surely, but not one intentionally played for laughs.

Besides setting up unrealistic ideals of love, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks-starrer You’ve Got Mail became a timeless allegory for the charming independent bookstore.

From Quartz

He insisted that he had not intended the novel to be political allegory, while knowing full well that it would be taken as such.

A “Crime of the Century” that takes on mythic dimensions as an allegory of a city in decline.

They are, after all, carefully selected “types,” and to isolate them runs the risk of seeing the book as an allegory.

Seizing on this scene, critics called the novel “an allegory of our violent times.”

By using allegory, Percy both engages and sidesteps difficult questions.

Many rabbis have regarded the formation of Adam and Eve and their adventure as an allegory.

So that, besides the allegory, we have four dimensions of matter instead of three.

But the spirit of allegory, which has never been lost, may be traced throughout these barbarous discourses.

Its allegory, its learned literary allusions, its delving into obscure historic events, preclude any hope of popular success.

Allegory is a narrative in which material things and circumstances are used to illustrate and enforce high spiritual truths.

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