Agency Dictionary

Allegory

nounPronunciation: /ˈæl.ə.ɡɔː.ri/

In Portuguese: Alegoria

Writing & Narrative

What does “Allegory” mean?

A story, poem, or visual picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden symbolic meaning, typically a moral or strategic lesson.

Etymology

From Old French allegorie, from Latin allegoria, from Greek allegoria, "speaking otherwise", formed from allos ("other") and agoreuein ("to speak in the assembly"), from agora ("assembly"). The word has been in English since the late Middle Ages, first for the figurative reading of Scripture and for narratives in which characters and events stand for ideas.

Synonyms

parable
fable
metaphor
symbol
emblem

Often confused with

metaphor: A metaphor is a single figure that names one thing as another; an allegory sustains the figure through a whole story or image.
parable: A parable is a short story told to teach one moral or religious lesson; an allegory may be long and works point by point.

Word family

allegorical
allegorically
allegorize
allegorist

Usage examples

Salutations to all architects of words, poets of the universal allegory, typewriters of the mechanical keyboards, translators of the unknown, and sentinels of eternity!
Writing.1 - The Titanic Theory
If the tsunami allegory makes you anxious for some reason you should know that it is just a mental exercise.

Concepts

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Words of the same theme

Rebirthnoun: A new beginning after a period of decline or destruction, used in mythology to describe the cyclical return to life after death. In Archetype.0, rebirth is the defining characteristic of both the Bennu and the Phoenix.
Discursiveadjective: Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
quotationnoun: A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
verbatimadjective: In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
rhetoricnoun: The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
literary devicenoun: A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
Accuracynoun: The degree of precision, correctness, and exactitude with which a message or action reaches its intended mark.

Also from these editions: terms

Antithesisnoun: A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
paperweightnoun: A small, heavy object placed on loose sheets of paper to prevent them from scattering or blowing away.
omissionnoun: The intentional or accidental act of leaving something out or excluding details from a statement or text.
Treatisenoun: A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
Maximnoun: A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
aestheticsnoun: A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, artistic taste, and style.
anesthetizedadjective: Deprived of physical sensation or feeling, often used figuratively to describe dullness or emotional apathy.
Authenticitynoun: The quality of being real, genuine, and true to one's own character or stated origins.
Autonomousadjective: Possessing the freedom and self-governance to act independently without external dictation or continuous supervision.
Bamboozleverb: To deceive, confuse, or frustrate someone through deliberate trickery or misleading assertions.
Catharticadjective: Providing psychological relief through the open expression and release of strong or repressed emotions.
Creakyadjective: Making a harsh squeaking or groaning sound, or colloquially worn out, stiff, and aged.