Figure | Mean of figure in English Dictionary

/ˈfɪgjɚ/

• Noun
• a symbol that represents a number
1. He has a six-figure salary. [=he has a salary of at least $100,000]
• a value that is expressed in numbers
1. Are you sure of your figures?
2. I came up with a very different figure.
3. No precise/exact/official figures are available yet.
4. The company had yearly sales figures of half a million units.
5. She has a good head for figures, so I'm not surprised that she became an accountant.
• a person or animal that can be seen only as a shape or outline
1. We could barely make out some figures moving in the mist.

• the shape or form of a person's body
1. the human figure
2. the male/female figure
3. She has a very shapely figure. [=body]
4. a full figure
5. a slim, youthful figure
6. She likes to wear clothes that show off her figure.
• a drawing, sculpture, etc., that represents the form of a person or animal
1. The vase is decorated with figures of birds and fish.
2. The walls of the cave are covered with drawings of human and animal figures.
3. a male/female figure
4. a collection of bronze/carved figures
5. a cardboard figure
6. a cartoon figure
• a person who has a specified status or who is regarded in a specified way
1. a noted/familiar/popular/prominent sports figure
2. He began by writing letters to well-known figures in journalism.
3. a mysterious/shadowy figure
4. She's a key figure in the organization.
5. He has become a figure of contempt. [=someone who is regarded with contempt]
6. a figure of fun/ridicule [=someone who is laughed at or ridiculed]
7. a figure of authority = an authority figure [=a person who has authority over other people]
• a diagram or picture
1. Turn your attention to the figure on page 15.
• a combination of points, lines, or surfaces in geometry
1. A circle is a closed plane figure.
2. geometric figures
• Verb
• to expect or think (something)
1. I figured (that) they would lose. [=I expected them to lose]
2. I figured [=thought] he'd get tired of it in a few days.
3. The media figured that she would be the appointee. = The media figured her to be the appointee.
4. “They lost.” “I figured as much.”
5. (US) He figured [=expected] to lose money in the deal.
• to understand or find (something, such as a reason) by thinking
1. Their reasons for doing this are hard to figure. [=figure out]
2. I've finally figured [=figured out] a way to manage my time better.
3. We've got to figure [=find] a way out of this mess.
• to appear likely to do something
1. She figures to finish by noon.
2. He doesn't figure to win. [=he probably won't win]
• to be or appear important
1. The debate over tax rates figured prominently in the last election.
• to calculate (an amount, cost, etc.)
1. He figured the cost at about $10,000.
2. The cost in dollars is easily figured.
• to seem reasonable, normal, or expected
1. His explanation just doesn't figure. [=add up, make sense]
2. It figures [=it is not surprising] that he would be late today.
3. “He's late.” “Well, it figures.”
4. That figures. [=that doesn't surprise me]
• to include (something) while making calculations
1. When they were preparing a budget, they forgot to figure in [=factor in] occasional travel expenses.
• to be involved in (something, such as an activity)
1. persons who figured in the robbery
• to be included as a part of (something)
1. Age may figure into the equation.
• to expect to get or have (something)
1. They weren't figuring on the extra income.
• to plan to do (something)
1. I figure on going [=I plan to go] downtown later today.
• to understand or find (something, such as a reason or a solution) by thinking
1. I'm trying to figure out a way to do it.
2. He claims he has it all figured out.
3. I finally figured it out.
4. I can't figure out why he does these crazy things.
• to find an answer or solution for (something, such as a problem)
1. figure out [=solve] a math problem
• to understand the behavior of (someone)
1. He does these crazy things, and I just can't figure him out.