figurative B2 Topic:People & Society US /ˈfɪɡəɹətɪv/ See IPA manual Freq #46186 Meanings 1 adj Using words in a non-literal way, such as in metaphors and similes. In figurative language, 'a sea of troubles' does not mean real water. 2 adj In art, showing recognisable people, animals, or objects rather than abstract shapes. He prefers figurative painting to abstract art. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · using words in a... nonliteral 2 adj · in art, showing... figural ↔ Opposites literal Word family Derived forms figurativelyfigurativenessnonfigurativesemifigurativeunfigurative Related forms figure Common collocations figurative language Adjective + noun Etymology AI details From Middle French figuratif. figuratif Middle French View etymology graph -> Topics People & Society External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # figurative **Type:** Word **Level:** B2 **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈfɪɡəɹətɪv/ **Frequency rank:** 46186 ## Meanings 1. Using words in a non-literal way, such as in metaphors and similes. 2. In art, showing recognisable people, animals, or objects rather than abstract shapes. ## Examples - In figurative language, 'a sea of troubles' does not mean real water. - He prefers figurative painting to abstract art. ## Antonyms - literal ## Derived Forms - figuratively - figurativeness - nonfigurative - semifigurative - unfigurative ## Related Forms - figure ## Roots and Affixes - Root: figuratif ## Etymology From Middle French figuratif. ## AI Etymology Figurative comes from Middle French figuratif. In current use, the main senses are “Using words in a non-literal way, such as in metaphors and similes” and “In art, showing recognisable people, animals, or objects rather than abstract shapes”. ## Topics - People & Society markdown