Which term refers to an author's use of a word or phrase not intended for literal interpretation?

Which term refers to an author's use of a word or phrase not intended for literal interpretation?

• A. Dialogue
• B. Figurative Language
• C. Allegories
• D. Alliteration

Answer: (B)

Figurative language is when an author uses words in a way that isn’t meant to be taken literally, to create a vivid image or convey a meaning more effectively. It covers devices like metaphors, similes, personification, and hyperbole—ways to express ideas beyond the exact, dictionary sense of the words. For example, saying “time is a thief” or “the wind whispered through the trees” uses non-literal language to suggest ideas more powerfully. The other terms describe different writing aspects: dialogue is characters’ spoken words, allegory is a story where the surface details stand for deeper moral or political meanings, and alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds for sound effect.

Figurative language is when an author uses words in a way that isn’t meant to be taken literally, to create a vivid image or convey a meaning more effectively. It covers devices like metaphors, similes, personification, and hyperbole—ways to express ideas beyond the exact, dictionary sense of the words. For example, saying “time is a thief” or “the wind whispered through the trees” uses non-literal language to suggest ideas more powerfully. The other terms describe different writing aspects: dialogue is characters’ spoken words, allegory is a story where the surface details stand for deeper moral or political meanings, and alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds for sound effect.