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Intermediate Dictionary        

al·le·go·ry

allegory

 
 
pronunciation:
ae l go ri
features:
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part of speech: noun
inflections: allegories
definition 1: in art or literature, the use of concrete characters, events, or things, to represent abstract qualities or ideas, often to make a point about good and evil.
By naming the wolf Jealousy and the little boy Wise Willy, the writer is using allegory to make the story more meaningful.
synonyms:
fable, parable
similar words:
emblem, illustration
definition 2: a story that is written or told to represent an idea or belief.
The Pilgrim's Progress is a famous allegory written in the seventeenth century.
synonyms:
legend, parable
similar words:
fantasy
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  belief, literature, moral, myth