THE figurative language or figurative meaning consists of a communication tool or modality, which uses speech figures to express a non-literal sense of a given statement.
Figurative language is used to give more expressiveness to speech, to broaden the meaning of a word. In addition, it also serves to create different meanings or when the interlocutor cannot find a suitable term for what they want to communicate.
The interpretation of figurative language can depend on the context of each individual, because this is an unconventional type of language that is not based on the usual norms of communication.
b) In the second example, the word appears with another meaning, subject to different interpretations, depending on the context in which it is used. In this case, the connotative sense prevails - or the connotation of the linguistic sign.
Related to semantics, figurative language is composed of speech figures, which serve as language structuring elements. It is the opposite of literal language, which uses words in their true meaning.
When figurative language is used, interpretation depends on the listener or reader. There are several tests in which the capacity for interpretation is evaluated, and the person must identify the figures of speech used in the utterance.
Figures of speech can be: word pictures, construction figures, thought figures and sound figures.
Examples of figurative language
"He's drowning in his worries." This sentence must be interpreted in its figurative sense, because it is not physically possible for a person to drown with a worry. In this case, the phrase means that the individual's concerns are limiting and hurting.
"When Francisco got there, he ran into the gate". This sentence can be interpreted in two ways: literally or figuratively. The literal sense indicates that Francisco arrived at a certain place and literally hit the gate with his face. The figurative sense does not imply a physical shock, but indicates that when Francisco got there, the gate was closed and he was unable to enter.
Denotation and connotation
Denotation and connotation serve to express the meaning intended by the interlocutor. Thus, the denotation refers to the literal sense, while the connotation, widely used in poetic language, refers to the figurative sense and the creation of new meanings.
See too Examples of Metaphors.