metaphorically

met·a·phor  (mt-fôr, -fr)

n.

1. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in "a sea of troubles" or "All the world's a stage" (Shakespeare).

2. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol: "Hollywood has always been an irresistible, prefabricated metaphor for the crass, the materialistic, the shallow, and the craven" (Neal Gabler).

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[Middle English methaphor, from Old French metaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Greek, transference, metaphor, from metapherein, to transfer : meta-, meta- + pherein, to carry; see bher-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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meta·phoric (-fôrk, -fr-), meta·phori·cal adj.

meta·phori·cal·ly adv.

Thesaurus

Adv.

1.

metaphorically - in a metaphorical manner; "she expressed herself metaphorically"