metaphorical
[adjective]
Synonyms: figurative, allegorical, emblematic, symbolic

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

met‧a‧phor‧i‧cal /ˌmetəˈfɒrɪkəl◂ $ -ˈfɔː-, -ˈfɑː-/ adjective

1. a metaphorical use of a word is not concerned with real objects or physical events, but with ideas or events of a non-physical kind:
The word has a metaphorical as well as a literal meaning.

2. used to show that you are using a metaphor:
his need to escape from the metaphorical chains that held him
—metaphorically /-kli/ adverb:
She was, literally and metaphorically, in perfect shape.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲