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An earlier sense of effigy is "a likeness of a person shaped out of stone or other materials," so it's not surprising to learn that effigy derives, by way of Middle French, from the Latin effigies, which, in turn, comes from the verb effingere ("to form"), a combination of the prefix ex- and fingere, which means "to shape." Fingere is the common ancestor of a number of other English nouns that name things you can shape. A fiction is a story you shape with your imagination. Figments are shaped by the imagination, too; they're something you imagine or make up. A figure can be a numeral, a shape, or a picture that you shape as you draw or write.
Examples of effigy in a Sentence
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 11 May 2025
Rather than prioritizing the gunpowder needed to explode the effigy and win some cash, all three teams first focus on collecting shields.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
While tailgating, someone hung an effigy of a Kermit the Frog doll in a red No. 15 jersey and with hair that resembled Mahomes.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Jan. 2025
The outdoor effigy has been eliciting snickers, sneers — and the ire of politicians, who have called it a stunt.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 10 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for effigy
Cite this Entry
“Effigy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effigy. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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effigy
noun
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