Definition of allegory Allegory

/æˈlʌgɔˌɹi/ - [atlugoree] - al•le•go•ry

We found 13 definitions of allegory from 7 different sources.

What does allegory mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: allegories
allegory - an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances; an extended metaphor
		expressive style, style a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period; "all the reporters were expected to adopt the style of the newspaper"
allegory - a visible symbol representing an abstract idea
		emblem
		symbolic representation, symbol, symbolisation, symbolization something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible; "the eagle is a symbol of the United States"
		scarlet letter the letter A in red; Puritans required adulterers to wear it
		cupid a symbol for love in the form of a cherubic naked boy with wings and a bow and arrow
		donkey the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
		dove any of numerous small pigeons
		eagle any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight
		elephant five-toed pachyderm
		fasces bundle of rods containing an axe with the blade protruding; in ancient Rome it was a symbol of a magistrate's power; in modern Italy it is a symbol of fascism
		national flag, ensign an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality
		hammer and sickle the emblem on the flag of the Soviet Union
		red flag something that irritates or demands immediate action; "doing that is like waving a red flag in front of a bull"
		magen david, mogen david, shield of david, solomon's seal, star of david a six-pointed star formed from two equilateral triangles; an emblem symbolizing Judaism
		badge any feature that is regarded as a sign of status (a particular power or quality or rank); "wearing a tie was regarded as a badge of respectability"
		paschal lamb, agnus dei a liturgical prayer beginning with these Latin words
		maple-leaf the emblem of Canada
		medallion an emblem indicating that a taxicab is registered
		spread eagle a skating figure executed with the skates heel to heel in a straight line
allegory - a short moral story (often with animal characters)
		fable, parable, apologue
		story a piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events; "he writes stories for the magazines"
		aesop's fables a collection of fables believed to have been written by the Greek storyteller Aesop

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Wiktionary

allegory (Noun)
The representation of abstract principles by characters or figures.
allegory (Noun)
A picture, book, or other form of communication using such representation.
allegory (Noun)
A symbolic representation.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

allegory (n.)
A figurative sentence or discourse, in which the principal subject is described by another subject resembling it in its properties and circumstances. The real subject is thus kept out of view, and we are left to collect the intentions of the writer or speaker by the resemblance of the secondary to the primary subject.
allegory (n.)
Anything which represents by suggestive resemblance; an emblem.
allegory (n.)
A figure representation which has a meaning beyond notion directly conveyed by the object painted or sculptured.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

allegory
A representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

allegory
al′le-gor-i, n. a description of one thing under the image of another.—adjs. Allegor′ic, -al, in the form of an allegory: figurative.—adv. Allegor′ically.—v.t. Al′legorise, to put in form of an allegory.—v.i. to use allegory.—ns. Al′legorist, one who uses allegory; Allegorizā′tion. [Gr. allēgoria; allos, other, and agoreuein, to speak.]

Wikipedia

An allegory (from Greek αλλος, "other", and αγορευειν, "agoreuein," "to speak in public") is a story which has a hidden meaning. The characters in allegorical stories are symbols which represent particular ideas. The story has a figurative meaning, not just a literal one.

Allegory is an example of rhetoric, but an allegory does not have to be a story in language: it may be something to look at, such as a painting or sculpture.

An allegory is like a long metaphor. People have to use their imagination to understand what it is trying to say. A fable or parable is a short allegory with one basic idea (a moral).

Sometimes people say that stories have meanings which the author, in fact, did not intend. For instance, many people have suggested that "The Lord of the Rings" was an allegory for the World Wars, but, in fact, it was written well before the outbreak of World War II, and J.R.R. Tolkien said that it was not an allegory. In this way people sometimes change the author’s ideas. Sometimes they do it for their own political reasons.

Examples.

Allegory has been a favourite form in the literature of nearly every nation. It is often used as a way of criticising things or people where it would not be possible to do so directly.

In classical literature Plato and Ovid wrote allegories. Dante Alighieri wrote allegories in "The Divine Comedy". In the Middle Ages "Everyman" was a morality play. John Bunyan’s "The Pilgrim's Progress" tells the story of a man trying to lead a Christian lif