figurehead
Americannoun
-
a person nominally having a prominent position, but no real authority
-
a carved bust or full-length figure at the upper end of the stems of some sailing vessels
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of figurehead
Explanation
A figurehead is someone who appears to be in charge, but who really holds very little influence. In many countries today, kings and queens are merely figureheads. A ceremonial president or king — one installed as a symbolic head of a country, while someone else holds the real power — is one type of figurehead. If a retiring businesswoman promotes her son to be the new CEO of her company, while putting a different person in charge of running the business, the son is just a figurehead. The word figurehead comes from its original meaning, the figures carved at the front of old sailing ships.
Vocabulary lists containing figurehead
Revolution in Our Time
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Civilizations of East Asia and Southeast Asia, Lesson 4–7
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
fig
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After worrying that Homelander’s delusions of becoming a religious figurehead were too far-fetched, Kripke came to see that storyline “as a metaphor for the ultimate level of narcissism.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
The secretary last year had considered installing someone else to run the FDA while Makary remained a figurehead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
It’s about understanding that that the removal of a single despised figurehead isn’t enough.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
But Hanson's biographer and filmmaker Dr Anna Broinowski says the One Nation leader has endured as a figurehead of right-wing politics because she paints herself as a "person of the people".
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
The sweep of her hair back from her face, the curve of her nostril suggested the figurehead of a ship plunging gallantly into a rough sea.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Han argues that movements do not require charismatic figureheads.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026
But on Sunday, it rallied around one of Wall Street’s most recognizable figureheads: the 72-year-old Fed chair.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
A MIT report and commentary from figureheads like Sam Altman over the summer sparked the market paranoia that has caused investors to increasingly sour on AI’s prospects.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
He booked the group studio sessions, invited them to parties and raves, and helped them network with industry figureheads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2024
For indeed, we are nothing but figureheads to complex forces which seem to be under a kind of impulse.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
