Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense figures, present participle figuring, past tense, past participle figured
1. countable noun
A figure is a particular amount expressed as a number, especially a statistic.
We need a true figure of how many people in this country haven't got a job.
It will not be long before the inflation figure starts to fall.
Government figures suggest that two thirds of adults are obese or overweight.
2. countable noun
A figure is any of the ten written symbols from 0 to 9 that are used to represent a number.
3.
See in double figures
4. countable noun
You refer to someone that you can see as a figure when you cannot see them clearly or when you are describing them.
Alistair saw the dim figure of Rose in the chair.
She waited, standing on the bridge, until his figure vanished against the grey backdropof the Palace.
A figure in a blue dress appeared in the doorway.
Synonyms: outline, form, shape, shadow More Synonyms of figure
5. countable noun
In art, a figure is a person in a drawing or a painting, or a statue of a person.
...a life-size bronze figure of a brooding, hooded woman.
Synonyms: representation, image, likeness More Synonyms of figure
6. countable noun
Your figure is the shape of your body.
Take pride in your health and your figure.
Janet was a natural blonde with a good figure.
Synonyms: shape, build, body, frame More Synonyms of figure
7. countable noun
Someone who is referred to as a figure of a particular kind is a person who is well-known and important in some way.
The movement is supported by key figures in the three main political parties.
Synonyms: personage, force, face [informal], leader More Synonyms of figure
8. countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
If you say that someone is, for example, a mother figure or a hero figure, you mean that other people regard them as the type of person stated or suggested.
Sometimes young lads just need to turn to a mother figure for a bit of a chat andreassurance.
Daniel Boone, the great hero figure of the frontier.
Local police chiefs should re-emerge as figures of authority and reassurance in theirareas.
9. countable noun
In books and magazines, the diagrams which help to show or explain information are referred to as figures.
If you look at a world map (see Figure 1) you can identify the major wine-producingregions.
Figure 1.15 shows which provinces lost populations between 1910 and 1920.
10. countable noun
In geometry, a figure is a shape, especially a regular shape.
[technical]
Draw a pentagon, a regular five-sided figure.
11. verb
If you figure that something is the case, you think or guess that it is the case.
[informal]
She figured that both she and Ned had learned a lot from the experience. [VERB that]
12. verb
If you say 'That figures' or 'It figures', you mean that the fact referred to is not surprising.
[informal]
When I finished, he said, 'Yeah. That figures'. [VERB]
Work it out and you'll find it figures. [that/itV]
Synonyms: make sense, follow, be expected, add up More Synonyms of figure
13. verb [no passive]
If a person or thing figuresin something, they appear in or are included in it.
Human rights violations figured prominently in the report. [VERB + in]
[Also V + as]
14.
See to cut a particular figure
15.
See figure of fun
16.
See keep one's figure/lose one's figure
17.
See put a figure on sth
Phrasal verbs:
See figure on
See figure out
See figure up
More Synonyms of figure
-figure
combining form [ADJECTIVE noun]
-figure combines with a number, usually 'five', 'six', or 'seven', to form adjectives which say how many figures are in a number. These adjectives usually describe a largeamount of money. For example, a six-figure sum is between 100,000 and 999,999.
Columbia Pictures paid him a six-figure sum for the film rights.
...collectors' pieces which change hands for five-figure sums.
figure in British English
(ˈfɪɡə, US English ˈfɪɡjər)
noun
1.
any written symbol other than a letter, esp a whole number
2. another name for digit (sense 2)
3.
an amount expressed numerically
a figure of 1800 was suggested
4. (plural)
calculations with numbers
the candidate must be good at figures
5.
visible shape or form; outline
6.
the human form, esp as regards size or shape
a girl with a slender figure
7.
a slim bodily shape (esp in the phrases keeporlose one's figure)
8.
a character or personage, esp a prominent or notable one; personality
a figure in politics
9.
the impression created by a person through behaviour (esp in the phrase to cut a fine, bold, etc, figure)
10.
a.
a person as impressed on the mind
the figure of Napoleon
b.
(in combination)
father-figure
11.
a representation in painting or sculpture, esp of the human form
12.
an illustration or explanatory diagram in a text
13.
a representative object or symbol; emblem
14.
a pattern or design, as on fabric or in wood
15.
a predetermined set of movements in dancing or skating
16. geometry
any combination of points, lines, curves, or planes. A plane figure, such as a circle, encloses an area; a solid figure such as a sphere, encloses a volume
17. rhetoric figure of speech
18. logic
one of the four possible arrangements of the three terms in the premises of a syllogism
Compare mood2 (sense 2)
19. music
a.
a numeral written above or below a note in a part
figured bass, thorough bass
b.
a characteristic short pattern of notes
verb
20. (whentr, often foll by up)
to calculate or compute (sums, amounts, etc)
21. (tr; usually takes a clause as object) informal, mainly US, Canadian and New Zealand
to think or conclude; consider
22. (transitive)
to represent by a diagram or illustration
23. (transitive)
to pattern or mark with a design
24. (transitive)
to depict or portray in a painting, etc
25. (transitive) rhetoric
to express by means of a figure of speech
26. (transitive)
to imagine
27. (transitive) music
a.
to decorate (a melody line or part) with ornamentation
b.
to provide figures above or below (a bass part) as an indication of the accompanying harmonies required
figured bass, thorough bass
28. (intransitive; usually foll byin)
to be included
his name figures in the article
29. (intransitive) informal
to accord with expectation; be logical
it figures that he wouldn't come
30. go figure
Derived forms
figureless (ˈfigureless)
adjective
figurer (ˈfigurer)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Latin figūra a shape, from fingere to mould
figure in American English
(ˈfɪgjər; fɪgjʊr; often, esp. for v., & Brit always, ˈfɪgər)
noun
1.
the outline or shape of something; form
2.
the shape of the human body; human form
3.
a person, esp. one seen or thought of in a specified way
a great social figure
4.
a likeness or representation of a person or thing
5.
an illustration; diagram; picture; drawing
6.
an artistic design in fabrics, etc.; pattern
7.
a.
the symbol for a number
the figure 5
b. [pl.]
calculation with such symbols; arithmetic
very good at figures
8.
a sum of money
9. Dancing and Skating
a series or pattern of steps or movements
10. Geometry
a surface or space bounded on all sides by lines or planes
11. Logic
the form of a syllogism with reference to the use of the middle term as variously the subject or the predicate of the premises
12. Music
a series of consecutive tones or chords forming a distinct group which with other similar groups completes a phrase or theme; motif
13. Rhetoric
figure of speech
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈfigured or ˈfiguring
14.
to represent in definite form; give a shape to
15.
to represent mentally; imagine
16.
to ornament with a design
17.
to compute with figures
18. Informal
to believe; consider; decide
19. Music
to indicate chords for (the bass) by writing the appropriate figures next to the notes
verb intransitive
20.
a.
to appear, often prominently
with in
you figure in all my dreams
b.
to be a causal factor
with in
poor food figured in his ill health
21.
to do arithmetic
22. US, Informal
to consider; calculate
23. US, Informal
to be just as expected or as anticipated
SIMILAR WORDS: form
Idioms:
figure in
figure on
figure out
figure up
Derived forms
figurer (ˈfigurer)
noun
Word origin
ME < OFr < L figura < fingere, to form, shape: see dough
More idioms containing
figure
go figure
a ballpark figure
COBUILD Collocations
figure
establishment figure
familiar figure
public figure
Examples of 'figure' in a sentence
figure
So many of the classical rhetorical figures are just forms of repetition.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The buyout firm is holding out for a bid slightly above that figure.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Meanwhile, one grime figure after another joined him on stage.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She won't be pulling her hair out when she sees the sales figures.
The Sun (2016)
Previous studies have put the figure closer to 50 per cent or below.
Computing (2010)
The figure was below expectations of a 0.3 per cent improvement.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In part, the figures can be explained by a particularly poor vintage that was shunned by experts.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A small grainy figure appears to the right of the screen and walks towards the car.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
New figures show that more than 6,000 recalled criminals got fixed-term detention last year.
The Sun (2016)
Here, a number of leading figures look back on London and cross their fingers for the next two weeks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She cut a colourful figure by pairing the fringed white bikini top with maroon bottoms.
The Sun (2013)
The pope figured in any number of revolutionary caricatures.
Michael Burleigh Earthly Powers: Religion and Politics in Europe from the Enlightenment to the GreatWar (2005)
The official listening figures appear to tell a much gloomier story.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The show is in blistering form and viewing figures are on the up.
The Sun (2010)
These figures are for people in work.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The proposed figure is far below the numbers needed.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Or that no one has figured out yet.
Christianity Today (2000)
They also urged lenders to provide clearer figures on the amount they lend.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But viewing figures are only part of judging the size of a story.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This is something the airlines figured out long ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You will see two figures for the quote currency.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She said she would rather a mother figure or female looking after her.
The Sun (2012)
You want me to put a figure on it?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The above figures simply do not add up.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He was replaced by an anonymous figure with a number and a surname.
Coyle, Andrew & Stern, Vivien The Prisons We Deserve (1994)
The figures appear to back him up.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My fancy has been running better than recent form figures imply.
The Sun (2006)
Both monarchs aspired to be father figures to their people in a dark age.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
There are far too many uncertainties to put a figure on the amount of land available.
Tomlinson, Richard Urbanization in Post-Apartheid South Africa (1990)
Tories voiced outrage that Government figures had been talking about joining the euro.
The Sun (2008)
They hoped to cut the figure by 100,000 a year.
The Sun (2011)
Government figures show burglaries increased by 14 per cent last year.
The Sun (2012)
But official figures show one in five households has more than that in property, savings and belongings.
The Sun (2009)
As the figures below from our exclusive poll show, less than a quarter would vote to stay in.
The Sun (2015)
New figures show two in five people in some areas don't speak English as their mainlanguage.
The Sun (2013)
In other languages
figure
British English: figure /ˈfɪɡə; ˈfɪɡjər/ NOUN
A figure is a particular amount expressed as a number, especially a statistic.
Government figures show that retail sales fell last month by two per cent.
American English: figure
Arabic: رَقْم رقم
Brazilian Portuguese: algarismo
Chinese: 统计数字
Croatian: brojke
Czech: údaj číselný
Danish: figur
Dutch: cijfer voorwerp
European Spanish: cifra
Finnish: numero
French: chiffre
German: Ziffer
Greek: σχήμα μορφή
Italian: cifra
Japanese: 数字
Korean: 숫자
Norwegian: siffer
Polish: figura
European Portuguese: algarismo
Romanian: cifră
Russian: числа
Latin American Spanish: cifra
Swedish: siffra
Thai: ตัวเลข
Turkish: şekil
Ukrainian: цифра
Vietnamese: con số
All related terms of 'figure'
figure in
to add in; include
figure on
If you figure on something, you plan that it will happen or assume that it will happen when making your plans.
figure up
If you figure up a cost or amount, you add numbers together to get the total .
go figure
said to mean that you cannot explain something surprising, stupid, or hard to understand, as there seems to be a contradiction
cult figure
a person who inspires devotion in a particular group of people
figure out
If you figure out a solution to a problem or the reason for something, you succeed in solving it or understanding it.
lay figure
an artist's jointed dummy , used in place of a live model , esp for studying effects of drapery
red-figure
pertaining to or designating a style of vase painting developed in Greece in the latter part of the 6th and the 5th centuries b.c. , characterized chiefly by figurative representations in red against a black-slip background , details painted in the design, and the introduction of three-dimensional illusion in the rendering of form and space
action figure
a small figure of a character from a film, television programme , comic book etc, designed as a toy and often collected by enthusiasts
black-figure
pertaining to or designating a style of vase-painting developed in Greece in the 7th and 6th centuries b .c. , chiefly characterized by silhouetted figures painted in black slip on a red clay body, details incised into the design, and a two-dimensional structure of form and space
double-figure
denoting a percentage greater than ten
Escher figure
a picture of an object that at first sight looks three-dimensional but cannot be a two-dimensional projection of a real three-dimensional object, for example a picture of a staircase that re-enters itself while appearing to ascend continuously
father figure
If you describe someone as a father figure , you mean that you feel able to turn to that person for advice and support in the same way that you might turn to your father.
figure eight
A figure eight is the same as a → figure of eight .
figure-skate
to take part in figure skating
index figure
a statistic indicating the relative change occurring in each successive period of time in the price, volume , or value of a commodity or in a general economic variable , such as the price level, national income , or gross output , with reference to a previous base period conventionally given the number 100
mother figure
If you regard someone as a mother figure , you think of them as having the role of a mother and being the person you can turn to for help , advice , or support .
public figure
Someone who is referred to as a figure of a particular kind is a person who is well-known and important in some way.
single-figure
relating to numbers below ten
solid figure
a figure that has three dimensions
stick figure
a simple drawing of a person as executed by a young child, with a round head and straight lines representing the rest of the body
Chladni figure
a pattern formed by fine powder placed on a vibrating surface, used to display the positions of nodes and antinodes
cut a figure
to attract attention
familiar figure
You refer to someone that you can see as a figure when you cannot see them clearly or when you are describing them.
figure-hugging
Figure-hugging clothes fit very close to the body of the person who is wearing them.
figure skating
Figure skating is skating in an attractive pattern, usually with spins and jumps included.
terminal figure
a name, expression , or word used for some particular thing, esp in a specialized field of knowledge
authority figure
a person whose real or apparent authority over others inspires or demands obedience and emulation
figure-conscious
concerned to keep an attractively slim body shape
figure of fun
If you describe someone as a figure of fun , you mean that people think they are ridiculous.
hourglass figure
the shape of a woman who is well-proportioned and has a small waist
impossible figure
a picture of an object that at first sight looks three-dimensional but cannot be a two-dimensional projection of a real three-dimensional object, for example a picture of a staircase that re-enters itself while appearing to ascend continuously
Lissajous figure
a curve traced out by a point that undergoes two simple harmonic motions in mutually perpendicular directions. The shape of these curves is characteristic of the relative phases and frequencies of the motion; they are used to determine the frequencies and phases of alternating voltages
a ballpark figure
an approximate figure or quantity
establishment figure
Someone who is referred to as a figure of a particular kind is a person who is well-known and important in some way.
figure-eight knot
a kind of knot
figure of eight
A figure of eight is something that has the shape of the number 8, for example a knot or a movement done by a skater.
figure of merit
a measure of the efficiency of a helicopter in hover
figure of speech
A figure of speech is an expression or word that is used with a metaphorical rather than a literal meaning.
cut a good figure
to appear or behave well
cut a poor figure
to appear or behave badly
figure-ground phenomenon
the division of the perceptual field into background and objects that appear to stand out against it. The concept was evolved by the Gestalt psychologists, who invented ambiguous figures in which the same part could be seen either as figure or ground
put a figure on sth
When you put a figure on an amount, you say exactly how much it is.
keep one's figure/lose one's figure
If you keep your figure , you stay thin . If you lose your figure , you become rather fat .
to cut a particular figure
If you say that someone cuts a particular figure , you mean that they appear to other people in the way described .
isoperimeter
a figure that has a perimeter equal to that of another
Chinese translation of 'figure'
figure
(ˈfɪɡəʳ)
n(c)
(Drawing, Geom) 图(圖)形 (túxíng)
⇒ A hexagon is a six-sided figure.六边形是有6个边的图形。 (Liùbiānxíng shì yǒu liù gè biān de túxíng.)