Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Figure for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Figure" — noun, pronounced /ˈfɪɡə/, with the stress on "fig".
Narrator: A figure is a number, a shape, or a person's bodily form or appearance.
Narrator: In plain English, a figure can be a number, a shape, or a person — like a figure in a painting.
Narrator: It comes from the Latin figura, meaning a shape or form, from fingere, to shape.
Narrator: "A figure of speech" describes a word or phrase used in a non-literal way.
Narrator: It differs from number because figure can mean a shape or person, whereas number is only a count.
Narrator: "A public figure" is a sense meaning a well-known or important person.
Narrator: Mathematics, art, statistics, literature and everyday speech all rely on the word figure.
Narrator: So remember: a figure is a number, shape or person, from the Latin for a shape.
Speaker A: What is a figure?
Speaker B: A number, shape or person! FIGURE comes from the Latin figura, a shape, so it means a number, a form or a person's appearance.
Speaker A: So a public figure is a famous person?
Speaker B: Yes — and a figure is also a number!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "A figure of speech"; "a public figure"; "sales figures" — language, fame and numbers.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't confuse figure with figurine, because a figure is a number or person, while a figurine is a small model.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: 'Number' the count cousin, 'shape' the form twin, 'personage' the formal alternative. The word keeps its versatile charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "figure" in AI prompts — useful for maths apps and writing tools.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame maths?
Speaker B: Right. For a maths app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short guide to reading figures, naming two types.
Speaker A: How about a writing tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to advise:
Prompt: Draft a guide to figures of speech, naming two examples.
Speaker A: Could it help with a statistics bot?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame data:
Prompt: Summarise in two sentences how to present figures clearly, naming one tip.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a language chatbot, try this:
Prompt: Write a short note on the phrase figure of speech, naming one example.
Figure — meaning in Arabic & definition More F courses GL Dictionary