Definition of nonliteral Nonliteral

non•lit•er•al

We found 2 definitions of nonliteral from 2 different sources.

What does nonliteral mean?

Adjective
nonliteral - (used of the meanings of words or text) not literal; using figures of speech; "figurative language"
		figurative
		literal without interpretation or embellishment; "a literal depiction of the scene before him"
		rhetorical given to rhetoric, emphasizing style at the expense of thought; "mere rhetorical frippery"
		analogical expressing, composed of, or based on an analogy; "the analogical use of a metaphor"
		extended beyond the literal or primary sense; "`hot off the press' shows an extended sense of `hot'"
		metaphoric, metaphorical expressing one thing in terms normally denoting another; "a metaphorical expression"; "metaphoric language"
		metonymic, metonymical using the name of one thing for that of another with which it is closely associated; "to say `he spent the evening reading Shakespeare' is metonymic because it substitutes the author himself for the author's works"
		poetic characterized by romantic imagery; "Turner's vision of the rainbow...was poetic"
		synecdochic, synecdochical using the name of a part for that of the whole or the whole for the part; or the special for the general or the general for the special; or the material for the thing made of it; "to use `hand' for `worker' or `ten sail' for `ten ships' or `steel' for `sword' is to use a synecdochic figure of speech"