Aesopian

[ ee-soh-pee-uhn, ee-sop-ee- ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Aesop or his fables:

   a story that points an Aesopian moral.

2. conveying meaning by hint, euphemism, innuendo, or the like:

   In the candidate's Aesopian language, “soft on Communism” was to be interpreted as “Communist sympathizer.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Aesopian¹

1870–75; < Late Latin Aesōpi ( us ) + -an

Example Sentences

If Brasher sometimes tends to moralize when he writes about birds, it isn’t Aesopian.

From Washington Post

As the pandemic pushed more people to communicate and express themselves online, algorithmic content moderation systems have had an unprecedented impact on the words we choose, particularly on TikTok, and given rise to a new form of internet-driven Aesopian language.

From Washington Post

An Aesopian warning issues from each piece of footage.

From The New Yorker

These days Tidal is less a streaming service more of a Aesopian parable.

From The Guardian

“Her work functions on conceptual, literary and Aesopian levels,” she said.

From Seattle Times