What does allegorisation mean?
Allegorisation is the act or process of expressing something through allegory — that is, of translating concrete stories, characters, or images into symbols of abstract ideas such as virtue, faith, or society. The term also covers the interpretive side of this practice: reading a text as an allegory rather than at face value. It appears most often in literary criticism, art history, and theology, where scholars discuss whether a work invites allegorisation or resists it. For example, one might describe John Bunyan's 'The Pilgrim's Progress' as an allegorisation of the Christian spiritual life. The word carries a formal, scholarly register and is rarely encountered in everyday conversation. In British English it is spelled allegorisation, while American English generally uses allegorization. Related terms include allegory, allegorical, and the verb allegorise. Understanding allegorisation helps readers grasp how literature can operate on two levels at once — a literal surface narrative and a deeper symbolic meaning beneath it.
nounThe act or process of expressing or treating something by means of allegory, converting ideas, narratives, or images into symbolic representations of abstract meanings. It can also refer to the resulting interpretation of a text or work as an allegory.
- The act or process of representing something through allegory; treating a subject symbolically rather than literally.
- The interpretation or reading of a text, image, or work as an allegory.
"Bunyan's 'The Pilgrim's Progress' is celebrated for its allegorisation of the Christian life as a journey."
"Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene' achieves its moral purpose through the careful allegorisation of virtue and vice."
"Modern scholars have resisted a purely theological allegorisation of Dante's 'Divine Comedy', preferring historical readings."
Rarely pluralised; the singular usually suffices since the process is treated abstractly. Plural forms occasionally appear in comparative criticism discussing multiple instances across works.
"The volume surveys allegorisations of exile across twentieth-century poetry."
When critics say nothing is ever 'just a story', they are invoking allegorisation — the centuries-old habit of turning every tale into a hidden lesson.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of allegorisation
Allegorisation derives from 'allegory', which traces back to Greek 'allēgorein', meaning 'to speak figuratively' — from 'allos' ('other') plus 'agoreuein' ('to speak in the assembly'). The term entered Latin and then European languages, with English 'allegory' attested from the late medieval period. The derivative verb 'allegorise' emerged in early modern English, particularly in the context of biblical exegesis and literary criticism, and 'allegorisation' is its noun form, following the pattern of other '-ation' nouns. Cognate forms appear across European languages, including French 'allégorisation' and related words built on the same Greek root.
Related word forms
How allegorisation is actually used
A formal, literary-critical term used chiefly in academic writing on literature, art history, and theology. The spelling with '-s-' (allegorisation) is standard British usage; American English typically uses 'allegorization' with '-z-'.
Easily confused with allegorisation
Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighbouring words, a sound device, whereas allegorisation is the conversion of meaning into symbolic, allegorical form.
Allegory is the symbolic narrative or device itself, while allegorisation is the act or process of creating or interpreting such symbolism.