Meaning & use

allegory

noun·Advanced

A story, poem, or image in which characters and events represent a deeper moral or political meaning.

See it in a sentence

Animal Farm is often read as an allegory for the Russian Revolution.

The painting works as an allegory of the struggle between hope and despair.

A note on using this word

Unlike a simple metaphor, an allegory sustains its symbolic meaning across an entire narrative or artwork.

Words with a similar meaning

parablefable

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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