unfigurative
|un-fig-u-ra-tive|
🇺🇸
/ʌnˈfɪɡjərətɪv/
🇬🇧
/ʌnˈfɪɡərətɪv/
not using figures (literal)
Etymology
'unfigurative' originates from English, specifically formed from the prefix 'un-' + 'figurative', where 'un-' meant 'not' and 'figurative' meant 'of or pertaining to a figure or figure of speech'.
'unfigurative' was formed in modern English by attaching Old English-derived prefix 'un-' to 'figurative' (from Latin/French); 'figurative' itself comes via Middle English and Old French from Latin 'figurativus' (from 'figura').
Initially 'figurative' related to 'form' or 'shape' (from Latin 'figura'), then shifted to 'using figures of speech'; 'unfigurative' therefore denotes the opposite — 'not using figures of speech' or 'literal'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not figurative; literal — not expressed by metaphor or other figures of speech.
The critic praised the poet's occasional unfigurative lines for their clear, direct meaning.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/20 14:28