figuration

noun

fig·​u·​ra·​tion ˌfi-g(y)ə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: form, outline

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 objects

—Janet 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

In her soulful paintings of New York City’s skyscrapers, Diamond used loose ropes of color that land somewhere between abstraction and figuration. —Grace Edquist, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024

Would a new wave of sculptures lean toward figuration? —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2024

Although language is one theme, Pedrosa’s new mapping of the globe centers also on abstraction and figuration. —Sara Raza, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024

In later compositions, more explicit figuration returns, but her interest in motion persists: Bamboo (2010) is a stunning and synthesized vision of gentle light seen through leaves and moving in every direction. —Sarah Rose Sharp, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2024

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