figuration

noun

fig·​u·​ra·​tion ˌfi-g(y)ə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: form, outline

2

: the act or process of creating or providing a figure

3

: an act or instance of representation in figures and shapes

cubism was explained as a synthesis of colored figurations of objects

—Janet Flanner

4

: ornamentation of a musical passage by using decorative and usually repetitive figures

Examples of figuration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The penultimate gallery contained a tiered display that served as a powerful culmination of the exhibition’s exploration of Pan-African tropes/motifs and, in particular, their relationship to abstraction and figuration. —Delinda Collier, Artforum, 1 May 2025

At the Barbican Gallery, the late American artist, Noah Davis’s first UK retrospective blends lush figuration with a fierce commitment to representation and community. —Nargess Banks, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Farrell, the Met curator who co-organized the current Wilson retrospective, said these works, though a return to figuration, are different from his work of the early 1940s. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 25 Feb. 2025

The other was the vigorous argument between abstraction and figuration as front runner of the avant-garde, then being hard-fought in the American art world. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English figuracioun, borrowed from Latin figūrātiōn-, figūrātiō "process of forming, shape, representation," from figūrāre "to shape, make a likeness of, represent" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at figure entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for figuration

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation