[…]a shift to modernist building typologies in the early 1950s led to the abandonment of symmetry, centrality, and figuration. Since the 1980s, big-box typologies, frosted with postmodern architectural veneer, have dominated.
Source: wiktionary
Figuration
/ˌfɪɡ.jəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
Synonyms for "figuration" (128 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (26)
aesthetic formallegoryalphabetarchetypeartart formblueprintbuildcastcharacteringcharacterizationchartchoreographyconfigurationconformationcontourconventional representationcreationcutdance notation
Show 4 more words
Noun(2 words)
depictiondescriptive language
Strong matches (38)
diagramdramadrawingefformationexemplificationfashionfashioningfeaturesfigureformformatformationformatureformingframeframeworkgenregestalthieroglyphiciconography
Show 16 more words
Noun(2 words)
figurative languageimagery
Related words (64)
makemakeupmapmatrixmodalitymodemodelmodelingmoldmoldingmorphogenesismorphogenymouldmouldermouldymusical notationnotationoutlinepatternpictogram
Show 41 more words
picturizationplanplatonic formplatonic ideaportraitureportrayalprefigurementpresentmentprintingprofileprojectionprototyperealizationreliefrenderingrenditionrepresentationschemascorescriptsculpturesetshapeshapesshapingsignificant formsilhouetteskeletonstampstructurestylesyllabarysymbolsymbolismsymbolizationtablaturetournureturntypetypificationwriting
Noun(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: aesthetic form, allegory, alphabet, archetype, art.
- Sentence evidence is available for figuration, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "figuration".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "figuration"
Keep "figuration" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "figuration" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "figuration", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "figuration" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
3 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
6 entriesclassical figurationfigural representationfigurative languagemodern figurationportraiture stylevisual figuration
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesSample sentences
4 total sentences available.
Here and throughout, variation infuses the music, Chopin’s innovative, elastic figuration masking the underlying similarity of bars 23 and 25.
Source: wiktionary
To recapitulate: consider the human form—skin, bone, and flesh. Consider the painting—surface, structure, and pigment. With a little license, the first gives us the ingredients for what might be called human or “figurative” figuration; the second gives us the ingredients for abstract or “nonfigurative” figuration.
Source: wiktionary
Figurations of interdependent people make up many webs of interdependence, which are characterized in part by different balances of power of many sorts, such as families, states, towns or simply groups.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "figuration"?
Closest matches include aesthetic form, allegory, alphabet, archetype, art.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "figuration"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.