Definition

1. Noun:
   • Decorating with a design: The act or process of forming something into a particular shape or pattern, especially for decorative purposes.
   • Representing figuratively as by emblem or allegory: The use of figures of speech or symbolic representation to convey meaning.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The intricate figuration on the vase was admired by all. (The detailed decorative pattern on the vase was admired by all.)
  • The poet's use of figuration, such as metaphors and similes, added depth to the work. (The poet's use of symbolic representation, such as metaphors and similes, added depth to the work.)

Advanced Usage

• In Music: The term is used to describe the patterns of notes, especially in harmony or counterpoint.
  • Bach's fugues are famous for their complex melodic figuration. (Bach's fugues are famous for their complex patterns of notes.)
• In Art and Design: Refers to the arrangement of forms and figures within a composition.
  • The artist's figuration of the human body was both realistic and expressive. (The artist's representation of the human body was both realistic and expressive.)

Variants and Related Words

• Figurative (adj): Using words or images in a way that is not literal; symbolic.
  • "A heart of stone" is a figurative expression.
• Figure (n/v): A shape, form, or representation; to appear or be involved in something.
  • Geometric figures like circles and squares.
  • He figures prominently in the story.

Synonyms

• Ornamentation: Decoration or adornment.
• Embodiment: A tangible or visible form of an idea or quality.
• Representation: The description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way.

Related Phrases

• Figuration of speech: A less common variant of "figure of speech," meaning a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense.
  • Metaphors and similes are types of figuration of speech.

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact word "figuration." Its related form, "figure," appears in idioms.) - To figure something out: To understand or solve something. - I need to figure out how this machine works. - A figure of fun: Someone who is laughed at or ridiculed. - He became a figure of fun after his embarrassing speech.

Noun

1. decorating with a design
2. representing figuratively as by emblem or allegory