figuration

noun

fig·​u·​ra·​tion ˌfi-g(y)ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce figuration (audio)
1
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 objectsJanet 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 As in her earlier paintings, Kahraman’s semi-autobiographical forms nod to Renaissance figuration, Japanese woodblock prints, and Persian miniatures, but there’s a ferocity to this body of work that feels fresh. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024 Playing on this history, the works included in Forms highlight, acknowledge, and challenge the pathway between abstraction and figuration with surrogates for and references to the representational world. Erica Wertheim Zohar, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 The dominant narrative of modern art has largely focused on stylistic shifts between binary oppositions: from figuration to abstraction and back again. Erica Wertheim Zohar, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Early in his career, in the 1960s, Botero’s work was acquired by curator Dorothy Miller at MoMA, who saw in him a painter that pursued figuration in a new way, someone who went against the grain of the then-reigning AbEx movement. Pablo Helguera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023 The move over the previous decade from abstraction to figuration among the avant-garde. Eric Gibson, WSJ, 15 Nov. 2023 His visual language mixed figuration and grand landscapes with recurring surrealistic motifs. Siddhartha Mitter, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023 His vibrant works meld figuration and abstraction, suggesting the nonlinear forms of dreams, memories, and storytelling. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2023 New York made sense as a next step for Bowling, who became increasingly frustrated by London’s art scene and bored with figuration. Lovia Gyarkye, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'figuration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of figuration was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near figuration

Cite this Entry

“Figuration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figuration. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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