tropological

Tropological is an adjective related to tropology, the study and use of tropes—figures of speech—in rhetoric and literature. It can also describe a mode of interpretation in theological contexts in which figurative or moral meanings are emphasized. The term thus spans both linguistic and interpretive domains.

In rhetoric and literary analysis, tropological describes language that relies on tropes such as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, irony, and other figures of speech. A tropological reading focuses on how these devices shape meaning beyond the literal level, highlighting symbolic or affective implications and the textures of expression rather than merely denoting concrete objects or actions.

In theology, tropology refers to the moral sense of Scripture. This interpretation seeks lessons for ethical conduct and behavior, asking how a passage instructs believers to live rightly. Tropological interpretation is often contrasted with the literal sense (historical or factual meaning), allegorical sense (reflecting Christological or doctrinal meanings), and sometimes anagogical sense (pointing to ultimate realities or heaven).

Historically, tropology played a prominent role in medieval exegesis, where Scripture was read across four levels of meaning. In contemporary usage, tropological is more common in academic discussions of rhetoric, literary theory, and interpretive approaches that foreground figurative language and moral or practical implications. The term remains relatively specialized and may be encountered mainly in scholarly writing on language and biblical interpretation.