What does figuratively mean?
Figuratively is an adverb used to signal that a word or phrase is being employed in a metaphorical or non-literal sense. When someone says they were on cloud nine figuratively, they are clarifying that no actual cloud was involved — the expression conveys intense happiness through imagery rather than fact. The word derives from Latin figurare, meaning to form or shape, and entered English alongside its adjective relative figurative in the early modern period. In contemporary usage, figuratively most often appears when speakers wish to prevent misunderstanding or add a touch of self-aware humour to a dramatic statement. Its antonym, literally, has ironically drifted toward figurative use in informal speech, a shift that irritates language purists and has made figuratively something of a flag for precision. Though useful, it is relatively rare in casual conversation, functioning mainly as a deliberate marker of metaphorical intent.
adverbIn a metaphorical or non-literal sense; used to indicate that a word or expression is not meant in its literal meaning, often for emphasis or vivid effect.
- Used to mark an expression as metaphorical or hyperbolic rather than literal, often for emphasis or rhetorical effect.
"When she said the news hit her like a ton of bricks, she meant it figuratively."
"The company's profits skyrocketed — figuratively speaking, of course."
"He was drowning in paperwork, but only figuratively; the office had excellent fire safety."
Ironically, people so often use 'literally' to mean 'figuratively' that dictionaries have given up and added the figurative sense to 'literally' itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of figuratively
Figuratively comes from the Latin verb figurare, meaning to form, shape, or figure, which itself derives from figura, meaning a shape or figure. The adjective figurative was borrowed into English from French or directly from Latin figurativus in the late Middle English period, with the adverb forming shortly afterwards. It shares this root with words such as figure, configuration, and figment, all tracing back to the same Latin stem for shape and form.
Related word forms
How figuratively is actually used
Figuratively is largely confined to formal or self-conscious usage where a speaker explicitly clarifies that a statement is not literal. In everyday speech it appears far less often than its antonym literally, which is frequently misused in its place. The word carries a slightly corrective or emphatic tone and can seem stilted if overused.
Easily confused with figuratively
Literally means in an exact, factual, or non-metaphorical sense, while figuratively signals that an expression is metaphorical rather than literal.