nonmetaphorical

adjective

Definition of nonmetaphoricalnext
as in nonfigurative

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonmetaphorical
  1. nonfigurative
  2. literal
Adjective
  • Abstraction or nonfigurative art was held, if not in some disdain, at least as something less pressing.
    — Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022
  • Back then, Pop Art—of which Oldenburg’s work was a kind of rough version—was puzzling, if not a bit scandalous to an art world that had, only recently, barely gotten used to the nonfigurative paint pyrotechnics of Abstract Expressionism.
    — Peter Plagens, WSJ, 22 July 2022
Definition of nonfigurative
Adjective
  • The movie ends with Haugen doing a literal fist bump into the air, riding off into the horizon of glorious victory.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The exhibition is full of moments like this, where something familiar about Basquiat suddenly becomes much more literal.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of literal
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

nonmental
nonmetaphorical
nonmetrical
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Cite this Entry

“Nonmetaphorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonmetaphorical. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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