metaforic

Metaforic is an adjective used to describe language, discourse, or analysis that relies on metaphor. It denotes expressions or theories in which figurative meaning is central rather than literal. In many languages, metaforic functions as a direct equivalent of “metaphorical” and is used in literature, philosophy, rhetoric, and linguistics to signal figurative usage.

The concept stems from classical rhetoric and has been developed in modern linguistics. The term is a cognate of metaphoric/metaphorical in several languages and is used to distinguish figurative meaning from literal statements, often in discussions of how metaphor shapes thought and communication.

Metaforic language includes explicit metaphor such as “time is money,” as well as personification (“the wind whispered”) and extended metaphors that sustain a figurative frame across passages. In cognitive linguistics, metaphor theory argues that many abstract concepts are understood through concrete domains via mappings between source and target domains.

Applications and critical perspectives: Metaforic analysis is common in literary criticism, discourse analysis, and philosophy of language. Some scholars consider metaphor a matter of thought and reasoning, while others warn that excessive or culturally biased metaphor can distort meaning or obscure data. Critics also note cross-cultural variability in metaphor use.

See also: metaphor, figurative language, conceptual metaphor, allegory, metonymy.