allegoric
Told through symbols
Allegoric means conveying meaning through symbolic figures and actions—telling one story that stands for another.
An allegoric tale about animals might really be about human politics.
The word is a less common variant of allegorical: The painting's allegoric imagery represented the struggle between good and evil.
Instructive allegorical narrative
- fableMoral tale with animals
- analogyExplanatory likeness between things
- figurativeRepresenting through imagery
- personificationAttributing humanity to non-humans
similitude · extended metaphor · moral tale · figuration · exemplum · beast fable · cautionary tale · apologue
Serving as a symbol
- representationalDepicting recognizable subjects
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
- significativeConveying meaning or import
- semioticRelating to sign systems
totemic · heraldic · connotative · allusive · suggestive · indicative · layered meaning · hidden meaning
Right and wrong principles
- instructiveServing to teach
- lessonUnit of teaching
- educationalPromoting knowledge or skill
- pedagogicRelating to teaching
preceptive · enlightening · edifying · wisdom · teaching · cautionary · exemplary · homiletic
Accessible to few
- arcaneUnderstood by few
- enigmaticPuzzling and obscure
- propheticForetelling future events
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
apocalyptic · revelatory · divine · sacred · scriptural · kabbalistic · gnostic · hermetic
parable
Instructive allegorical narrative
- fableMoral tale with animals
- analogyExplanatory likeness between things
- figurativeRepresenting through imagery
personification · similitude · extended metaphor · moral tale · figuration · exemplum · beast fable · cautionary tale · apologue
emblematic
Serving as a symbol
- representationalDepicting recognizable subjects
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
- significativeConveying meaning or import
semiotic · totemic · heraldic · connotative · allusive · suggestive · indicative · layered meaning · hidden meaning · veiled
morality
Right and wrong principles
- instructiveServing to teach
- lessonUnit of teaching
- educationalPromoting knowledge or skill
pedagogic · preceptive · enlightening · edifying · wisdom · teaching · cautionary · exemplary · homiletic · sermonic
esoteric
Accessible to few
visionary · apocalyptic · revelatory · divine · sacred · scriptural · kabbalistic · gnostic · hermetic · transcendent
allegoricliteral
Meaning exactly what's said
straightforward · direct · nonfigurative · explicit · plain
allegoricnonrepresentative
Not typical of larger group
non-figurative · realistic · naturalistic · documentary · representational
allegoricexplicit
Clearly and directly expressed
transparent · surface-level · unambiguous · obvious · simple
- literary allegorySymbolic story representing ideas
- allegory of the caveParable about mistaking illusions for reality
- religious allegorySymbolic tale conveying faith
- political allegoryStory symbolizing governmental themes
- biblical allegorySymbolic religious narrative
- allegorical taleStory representing abstract ideas
allegory, allegorical, allegorize, allegorically, allegorized, allegorizing