Word.ws English Dictionary

figure

Syllables: fig·ure/ˈfɪɡə//ˈfɪɡɚ/

figure noun: a drawing or diagram conveying information.

figure: a drawing or diagram conveying information
Image: CTC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

figure (plural figures)

  1. A drawing or diagram conveying information.
    • For example, while Figure 1 shows information for 516 visitor groups, Figure 3 presents data for 1,625 individuals. A note above each graph or table specifies the information illustrated. ... For example, although Joshua Tree NP visitors returned 525 questionnaires, Figure 1 shows data for only 516...2004, Joshua Tree National Park 2004 Visitor Study
  2. The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modelling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body.
    • a figure in bronze; a figure cut in marble
    • a coin that bears the figure of an angelc. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
  3. A person, thing, or action representative of another
    • Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21
  4. The appearance or impression made by the conduct or career of a person.
    • He cut a sorry figure standing there in the rain.
    • I made some figure there.1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC
  5. (obsolete) Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendour; show.
    • that he may live in figure and indulgence1729, William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
  6. A human figure, which dress or corset must fit to; the shape of a human body.
    • The origin of the corset is lost in remote antiquity. The figures of the early Egyptian women show clearly an artificial shape of the waist produced by some style of corset.1919, B. G. Jefferis, J. L. Nichols, Searchlights on Health
    • She was cunningly dressed in a black, sheer gown with gold ornaments showing her figure to perfection.1966, James Workman, The Mad Emperor, Melbourne, Sydney: Scripts, page 53
  7. A numeral.
  8. A number, an amount.
    • (i) in the 1966 edition of The Destruction of Dresden Irving contended that 135,000 were estimated authoritatively to have been killed and further contended that the documentation suggested a figure between 100,00 and 250,000;1996, David Irving v. Penguin Books and Deborah Lipstadt
  9. A shape.
    • a geometrical figure, a plane figure, a solid figure
    • Flowers have all exquisite figures.1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted...
  10. A visible pattern as in wood or cloth.
    • The muslin was of a pretty figure.
  11. Any complex dance moveᵂ.
    • Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness,[…]. It was with a palpable relief that he heard the first warning notes of the figure.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC
  12. A figure of speech.
    • to represent the imagination under the figure of a wing1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XX, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and...
Show 4 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term.
  2. A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses.
    • its quality, like those of all the rest, is determined by its position in the house of the astrological figure1889, Franz Hartmann, The Principles of Astrological Geomancy
  3. Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression.
    • Here, Beethoven limits the syncopations and modifications of rhythm which are so prominent in the first and third movements, and employs a rapid, busy, and most melodious figure in the Violins, which is irresistible in its gay and brilliant effect[…]1888, George Grove, Beethoven's Nine Symphonies: Analytical Essays
  4. A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a motif; a florid embellishment.

Verb

figure (third-person singular simple present figures, present participle figuring, simple past and past participle figured)

  1. (US) To calculate, to solve a mathematical problem.
  2. (US) To come to understand.
    • I can’t figure if he’s telling the truth or lying.
  3. To think, to assume, to suppose, to reckon.
    • We can figure on running a loss this year.
    • 1. Gent. Thou art alwayes figuring diseases in me; but
      thou art full of error, I am sound.c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
  4. (US, intransitive) To be reasonable or predictable.
    • It figures that somebody like him would be upset about the situation.
  5. (intransitive) To enter into; to be a part of.
    • It is the transcontinental trains which figure most prominently in railway advertising. Both railways run two trains in each direction.1959 November, J. N. Westwood, “The Railways of Canada”, in Trains Illustrated, page 554
    • The exchange rate figures heavily in several other aspects of Venezuela's economy.2005, Paul Beckerman, Andean Exchange-rate Regimes, 1994-2003
  6. (transitive) To represent in a picture or drawing.
    • Although now to be met with in botanic gardens everywhere, there is a certain degree of interest attaching to the figure of it in B.M. 3,992 (1843), although that was by no means the first figure published, for Lambert, Sprengel, and Sir W. Hooker had previously figured it.1884 August 16, X. Y. Z., “Brazilian or Maté Tea”, in The Gardeners’ Magazine, volume 27 (New Series), number 1,007, page 451
  7. (obsolete) To represent by a figure, as to form or mould; to make an image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into a determinate form; to shape.
    • If love, alas! be pain; the pain I bear, / No thought can figure, and no tongue declare.1709, Matthew Prior, “Henry and Emma. […]”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior […], volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan, […], published 1779, →OCLC, page 245
  8. To embellish with design; to adorn with figures.
    • The vaulty top of heaven / Figured quite o'er with burning meteors.c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
  9. (obsolete) To indicate by numerals.
    • 1698 , John Dryden, Epitaph of Mary Frampton
      As through a crystal glass the figured hours are seen.
  10. To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize.
    • whose white vestments figure innocencec. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […]...
  11. (obsolete) To prefigure; to foreshow.
    • His loftie browes in foldes, do figure death,
      And in their ſmoothneſſe, amitie and life:c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
    • In this the heaven figures some event.c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...
  12. To write over or under the bass, as figures or other characters, in order to indicate the accompanying chords.
  13. To embellish.

figure meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

figure in Hindi

figure, graphic
चित्र citra

figure in Tamil

வரைபடம், எண், உரு, தோற்றம், வடிவம், உருவம்

figure in Marathi

आकृती

figure in Urdu

figure, statue, effigy
مورت mūrat
More languagesFewer languages
figure in Bengali
ব্যক্তিত্ব, সংখ্যা, মানবমূর্তি, চরিত্র
figure in Telugu
అంకె aṅke
figure in Malayalam
ആകൃതി ākr̥ti
figure in Kannada
ಅಂಕಿ, ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ, ಅಂಕಿ ಅಂಶ, ಬಾಹ್ಯಾಕಾರ
figure in Punjabi
ਚਿੱਤਰ cittar
figure in Gujarati
આંકડો, આકૃતિ
figure in Sanskrit
स्वरूपः svarūpaḥ
figure in Nepali
चित्र citra
figure in Tagalog
tambilang, laraw
figure in Malay
susuk, perawakan
figure in Indonesian
sosok
figure in Persian
دیسه dise, صورت surat, تصویر tasvir, شکل šekl
figure in Vietnamese
hình vẽ, nhân vật, hình, đoán

Examples of figure in a sentence

  • For example, while Figure 1 shows information for 516 visitor groups, Figure 3 presents data for 1,625 individuals.2004, Joshua Tree National Park 2004 Visitor Study:
  • Ever since I was a young’n and my dad gave me a Godzilla figure, I’ve been a huge fan of the big green lizard from the Land of the Rising Sun.2007 December, Andy Salisbury, “Unleash the Beast”, in Nintendo Power, volume 222, page 34:
  • gentlemen of the best figure in the county1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon...
  • The arc of a circle may be very little, but, given that, it is possible to construct the entire figure.1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:

All 40 example sentences with figure

Synonyms of figure

Forms of figure

Noun
pluralfigures
Verb
third-person singular presentfigures
present participlefiguring
past participlefigured
pastfigured

Past tense of figure: figured

Plural of figure: figures

Origin of figure

From Middle English figure, borrowed from Old French figure, from Latin figūra (“form, shape, form of a word, a figure of speech, Late Latin a sketch, drawing”), from fingō (“to form, shape, mold, fashion”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- (“to mold, shape, form, knead”). Cognate with Ancient Greek τεῖχος (teîkhos), Sanskrit देग्धि (dégdhi), Old English dāg (“dough”). More at dough. Doublet of figura.

Words formed from figure

Phrases with figure

25 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with figure

9 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about figure

What does figure mean?
Figure means a drawing or diagram conveying information.
What is figure in Hindi?
Figure in Hindi is चित्र (citra). See Figure meaning in Hindi.
How do you use figure in a sentence?
For example, while Figure 1 shows information for 516 visitor groups, Figure 3 presents data for 1,625 individuals.
What part of speech is figure?
Figure can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce figure?
Figure is pronounced /ˈfɪɡə/ (UK).
What is the plural of figure?
The plural of figure is figures.

Words near figure in the dictionary

  1. figurational
  2. figurations
  3. figurative
  4. figuratively
  5. figurativeness
  6. figure
  7. figure 4
  8. figure 4s
  9. figure 8
  10. figure 9
  11. figure 9s

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: figure (page history and authors); चित्र (Hindi) (page history and authors); figure (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); figure (Marathi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); مورت (Urdu) (page history and authors); figure (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors); figure (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ਚਿੱਤਰ (Punjabi) (page history and authors); figure (Gujarati, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); चित्र (Nepali) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-figure.wav, En-us-figure.ogg.

Cite this entry: “figure.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/figure. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.