as in parable
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
Dr. Seuss's story "The Sneetches" is a telling allegory about tolerance for people's differences
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Recent Examples of allegory
In these allegories of dehumanization, greed, and hope, Marshall takes an unvarnished view of his subjects, one that doesn’t sugarcoat the past or succumb to nostalgia for a mythical, precolonial Golden Age.
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James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Perhaps that’s an allegory itself?
—Literary Hub, 23 Dec. 2025
Part of a long tradition of both David and Goliath adaptations and illustrated renditions of Judeo-Christian allegories, the new musical drama is Angel Studio’s latest take on the iconic underdog story and a wholesome way to spend your afternoon.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 22 Dec. 2025
The fantastical park resembles a theatre set, rife with spiritual allegory and modeled on an ascetic’s dream of utopia.
—Laura May Todd, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for allegory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allegory
Noun
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What kind of message would prime Jeezy have presented without the pyrex parables in tow?—
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The wordplay is as colorful as the sonics are sedate, tag-team player parables sailing over production seeking a slippery middle ground between East and West Coast throwback jams.—
Noun
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One of the toasts of Sundance, Cherien Dabis’s look at the life of a Palestinian family through the decades is a moral fable in the guise of an epic drama.—
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The film is a fable with a modern twist.—
Noun
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Yet this was the tale of two halves.—
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This is, in part, a cautionary tale.—
Cite this Entry
“Allegory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allegory. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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