noun
C2
Proficient
allegory
A-lih-guh-ree
Allegory (noun) means a story, picture, or other work whose characters and events stand for a deeper, often moral or political, meaning. Example: “Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.”
noun
1
A story, picture, or other work whose characters and events stand for a deeper, often moral or political, meaning.
"Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution."
"The painting can be read as an allegory of good triumphing over evil."
How to use allegory
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA story that works on two levels — the surface plot, and a hidden deeper meaning it represents.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a political allegory
read as an allegory
allegory for
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like allegory.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- allegories
- Third person singular
- allegories
- Past tense
- allegoried
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Animal Farm is an _____ for the Russian Revolution.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek allegoria, "speaking in a different way" — combining allos ("other") with a verb meaning "to speak publicly," so literally "saying one thing while meaning another."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for allegory
See all rhymes for allegory →Frequently asked questions
What does “allegory” mean?
The word “allegory” means a story, picture, or other work whose characters and events stand for a deeper, often moral or political, meaning. In plain terms, a story that works on two levels — the surface plot, and a hidden deeper meaning it represents.
How do you pronounce “allegory”?
“Allegory” is pronounced A-lih-guh-ree (/ˈæləˌɡɔɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “allegory” in a sentence?
Here is “allegory” used in a sentence: “Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.”
What part of speech is “allegory”?
“Allegory” is a noun.
Where does the word “allegory” come from?
The word “allegory” comes from Ancient Greek. From Ancient Greek allegoria, "speaking in a different way" — combining allos ("other") with a verb meaning "to speak publicly," so literally "saying one thing while meaning another.".
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include allegory:
