figuratively

adverb

fig·​u·​ra·​tive·​ly ˈfi-g(y)ə-rə-tiv-lē 

: in a figurative way: such as

a

: with a meaning that is metaphorical rather than literal

Speaking of panic, I recently ran into (figuratively, not literally) a friend who was ranting about giant "bees" digging holes in his lawn.

—Ron Kujawski

Poor small-town America. During the last gasps of this fevered election, pollsters, zealous campaign foot soldiers and reporters are kicking down its doors, figuratively speaking …

—Doug Colligan

b

: in a way intended to represent the form or figure of something or someone having objective reality : in a way that is not purely abstract

Franz Kline, who had always painted figuratively, made his breakthrough in 1949 when he looked at one of his sketches in a Bell-Opticon magnifier, and saw the rough, thrusting horizontals and verticals that became the basis of his new abstract style.

—Calvin Tomkins

Examples of figuratively in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Philadelphia faithful have yet to see a win, literally or figuratively, so far this month. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

That combination both literally and figuratively symbolizes how the program has risen. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026

Following Macklemore’s exit from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour, the British headliner has found himself in the middle of a whirlwind, both literally and figuratively. — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Begin by making space for experimentation—literally and figuratively. — John Abou, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above