# figure

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfɪɡə/ · frequency rank #904

## Definitions
1. A drawing or diagram conveying information.
2. The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modelling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body.
3. A person or thing representing a certain consciousness.
4. The appearance or impression made by the conduct or career of a person.
5. Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendour; show.
6. A human figure, which dress or corset must fit to; the shape of a human body.
7. A numeral.
8. A number, an amount.
9. A shape.
10. A visible pattern as in wood or cloth.
11. Any complex dance moveᵂ.
12. A figure of speech.
13. The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term.
14. A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses.
15. Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression.
16. A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a motif; a florid embellishment.

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **fire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figure-vs-fire)
- **fugue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figure-vs-fugue)
- **future** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figure-vs-future)
- **figures** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figure-vs-figures)
- **figured** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figure-vs-figured)
- **fixture** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figure-vs-fixture)
- **fissure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figure-vs-fissure)
- **figurine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figure-vs-figurine)
- **fibre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fibre-vs-figure)
- **Figaro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/figaro-vs-figure)
- **failure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/failure-vs-figure)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ffigure`, `fgiure`, `figgure`, `figrue`, `figuer`, `figurre`, `fiugre`, `ifgure`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/figure