As a noun, a figure is a number or statistical value, a person's bodily shape, a well-known or important person, or a diagram in a text. As a verb, to figure means to think or conclude, to calculate, or to appear and feature in something.
What Does Figure Mean?
Figure comes from Latin figura (form, shape, outline), derived from fingere (to shape, mould, or devise) — the same root that gives English fiction, feign, and effigy. The word entered Middle English in the 13th century via Old French figure, first in the senses of bodily form and written numeral symbol.
Today figure covers a remarkable range of meanings. In everyday conversation a figure is most often a number: the latest unemployment figures, a six-figure salary. In more personal or descriptive language it can mean a person's body shape: she kept her figure. In formal or academic writing, Figure 1 labels a diagram or chart. And as a verb — especially in informal British and North American English — it means to reckon or work out: I figured as much, figure out the answer.
Because figure is so common across registers, learners often confuse it with number (more neutral) or shape (purely geometric), and they sometimes over-extend the verbal use. The usage notes below clarify the main distinctions.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| The teacher drew a figure on the board to show the shape. | A2 — noun: diagram or shape |
| The sales figures for last month were very good. | B1 — noun: statistical numbers |
| The figure shows how vocabulary size affects reading comprehension. | B1 — noun: labelled diagram in a text |
| She is an important public figure in the field of education. | B2 — noun: well-known person |
| Researchers have yet to figure out why certain words are acquired faster than others. | C1 — phrasal verb: to work out or determine |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| sales figures | The company released its quarterly sales figures. |
| figure out | I can't figure out what this error message means. |
| public figure | As a public figure, she has little privacy. |
| key figure | He was a key figure in the peace negotiations. |
| six-figure salary | She earns a six-figure salary in the City. |
| figure of speech | "Break a leg" is a figure of speech, not a literal command. |
| keep one's figure | Regular exercise helped her keep her figure. |
| figure prominently | Climate change figured prominently in the debate. |
| rough figure | Can you give me a rough figure for the cost? |
| figure in | Transport costs figure in every price calculation. |
Usage Notes
Key Distinctions
- Figure vs. number: Both refer to numerical values, but figure is more formal and tends to appear in business, statistics, and finance (profit figures, a double-digit figure). Number is the everyday neutral term.
- Figure (verb) — British vs. American: In American English, figure meaning "think" or "suppose" is very common in everyday speech (I figure he's right). In British English it sounds informal or slightly idiomatic; British speakers more often use reckon or think in the same contexts.
- Figure out (phrasal verb): Separable — you can say figure it out or figure out the problem. When a pronoun is the object, it must go between figure and out: figure it out (not figure out it).
- Figures in academic writing: In reports and papers, Figure (capitalised) labels a numbered diagram: As shown in Figure 2, …. The plural figures (lower case) means statistics or numerical data.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I can't figure out it.
I can't figure it out. (pronoun objects must go between figure and out)
The figure of unemployment raised last year.
The unemployment figure rose last year. (figures do not raise; they rise; also note word order)
She has a nice figure of body.
She has a nice figure. (figure alone describes body shape; "of body" is redundant)