In/as a gesture...

[99bottles]

Is it in or as? In online dictionaries, I have found those two sentences.

Cambridge: The government donated £500,000 as a gesture of goodwill.

Longman: Jim raised his hands in a despairing gesture.

Is there a difference between in a gesture and as a gesture? Can you please tell me the difference?

 

[Tarheel]

In the first sentence it's not literally a gesture. In the second one it definitely is.

 

[Phaedrus]

Why did the government donate that amount?
They donated that amount as a gesture of goodwill.

How did Jim raise his hands?
He raised his hands in a despairing gesture.

 

[Tdol]

There are literal and non-literal gestures.

 

[99bottles]

In the first sentence it's not literally a gesture. In the second one it definitely is.

So, do we use in for literal gestures and as for figurative ones?

 

[Tarheel]

I would say that's a good rule of thumb.