allegorikus

Allegorikus is an adjective in Hungarian used to describe content that communicates its meaning through symbolic figures and actions rather than through literal representation. It characterizes literature, visual arts, film, and other media where characters, events, or settings stand for broader moral, social, or political concepts, allowing a double reading: the surface narrative and a deeper, concealed message.

It derives from the Greek allēgoria via Latin allegoria; in Hungarian the form -ikus is a common adjectival suffix. The term aligns with the English allegorical and with other European terms used in literary criticism to distinguish works that invite extended symbolic interpretation from straightforward narration. Allegorikus techniques commonly include personification, symbolic animals, and plot devices that embody abstract ideas such as justice, greed, or virtue.

Allegorikus writing appears across genres, including fables, religious parables, political satire, and dystopian fiction, and is often used to critique social, ethical, or political conditions without direct reference to contemporary events. A reader or critic performing an allegorikus reading looks for the underlying meanings that lie beyond the surface story.

See also: Allegory; Allegorical criticism; Symbolism; Fable; Didactic literature.