Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - figurative

~ adj 1 if a word or phrase is used in a figurative way, it is used about something different from what it normally refers to, to give you a picture in your mind  (I was using the word `battle' in its figurative sense.)  (- compare literal1 (1)) 2 technical figurative art shows objects, people, or the countryside in the way they really look  (- compare abstract1 (3)) - figuratively adv  (He's up to his eyes in paperwork - figuratively speaking, of course)