المعنى الاصطلاحي :

Verses of the Qur’an in which resemblance is drawn between two things, or a wonderful meaning is communicated precisely to make things clear, or to highlight a fact, etc.

الشرح المختصر :

"Amthāl al-Qur’an" (Qur’anic parables) is among the great sciences of the Qur’an. A "mathal" (simile) is a figure of speech that combines live examples taken from reality to make an abstract matter clear by resembling it to a tangible one, or a tangible matter by likening it to another tangible one. General rules are concluded from these "amthāl" for the guidance of people in this world and their success in the Hereafter. "Amthāl al-Qur’an" are of two categories: 1. Direct "amthāl": in which the word of "mathal", or another word indicative of it, is explicitly mentioned. 2. Indirect "amthāl": in which the word of "mathal" is not mentioned, but they indicate wonderful meanings in precise diction. They involve many representations that educate convincingly.