figuration

American  

[fig-yuh-rey-shuhn] / ˌfɪg jəˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of shaping into a particular figure.

2. the resulting figure or shape.

   emblematic figurations of the sun and the moon.

3. the act of representing figuratively.

4. a figurative representation.

   allegorical figurations.

5. the act of marking or adorning with a design.

6. Music.

   1. the employment of passing notes or other embellishments.

   2. the figuring of a bass part.

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figuration British  

/ ˌfɪɡəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. music

   1. the employment of characteristic patterns of notes, esp in variations on a theme

   2. decoration or florid ornamentation in general

2. the act or an instance of representing figuratively, as by means of allegory or emblem

3. a figurative or emblematic representation

4. the act of decorating with a design

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Etymology

Origin of figuration

1400–50; late Middle English figuracioun < Latin figūrātiōn- (stem of figūrātiō ) “a shaping” ( see figure ( def. )) + -ion

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

figuration

He dabbled with Fauvism, Austrian Expressionism and Post-Impressionism, but like so many who experiment, these tastes gave way to the hard stuff: Abstract Expressionism and Francis Bacon-inspired figuration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Her gestures, like the schematic flowers that let her claim a toehold in figuration, are always distinctly efficient.

From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023

To his interest in figuration, he adds a rope motif, an idea he has been exploring in works that appeared in group shows like “Shattered Glass” at Jeffrey Deitch gallery in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2023

The tension in de Kooning between figuration and abstraction feels brilliantly resolved because he invented his own coherent language of hooked-line contours and “slipping glimpses.”

From Washington Post ● Apr. 27, 2023

Riemann has ideas of his own, both in the phrasing and figuration.

From Chopin : the Man and His Music by Huneker, James