What does effigy mean?
An effigy is a sculpted, molded, or otherwise fashioned image of a person — most often a crude figure built to represent a specific individual. The word carries two main senses: the dominant modern one involves protest, where demonstrators hang or burn an effigy of a politician or public figure as a symbolic attack; the second, older sense refers to dignified representations, such as the carved stone figures of knights and nobles reclining on medieval tombs, or portraits stamped on coins. Because burning someone 'in effigy' destroys only their likeness, the phrase has come to signify symbolic rather than literal violence. Effigy entered English in the sixteenth century from Latin effigies, meaning a copy or likeness, itself rooted in effingere, 'to fashion or portray.' Formal in register and rarely pluralized, the word remains a staple of journalism covering political dissent and of writing about funerary art.
nounA sculpture or model of a person, especially one made to be destroyed or displayed in protest; more broadly, a crude representation of a specific individual.
- A sculpture, model, or image of a person, especially one made to be hanged or burned in protest.
- A likeness or representation of a person, such as a figure on a tomb (an 'effigy' on a medieval tomb) or a portrait on a coin.
"Protesters carried an effigy of the mayor through the streets before burning it on the courthouse steps."
"Demonstrators hung an effigy of the corrupt official from a lamppost outside city hall."
"The cathedral contains a marble effigy of the knight, carved with his hands folded in prayer."
The plural follows the Latin-style '-ies' ending, like 'effigy' → 'effigies.' It appears mainly in art-historical or museum contexts.
"The museum's collection includes several medieval effigies carved from alabaster."
When crowds 'burn someone in effigy,' the person is perfectly safe — the fire is aimed at a dummy standing in for them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of effigy
Effigy comes from the Latin noun effigies, meaning a likeness, copy, or portrait, derived from the verb effingere, formed from ex- ('out') plus fingere ('to shape or mold') — the same root that gives English 'figure' and 'figment.' The word was borrowed into English in the sixteenth century, initially for representations of people on tombs and monuments. Its association with protest imagery, particularly burning or hanging a figure in place of a hated person, became established later and now dominates everyday usage.
How effigy is actually used
Effigy is a formal or literary noun, almost always used in the singular and usually preceded by an article ('an effigy'). Its most frequent modern context is political protest — 'to burn someone in effigy' means to burn their image as a symbolic act against them, without harming the person. It also appears in historical and art-historical contexts describing tomb figures and coin portraits.
Easily confused with effigy
An epitaph is an inscription commemorating a dead person, typically on a gravestone, whereas an effigy is a physical likeness or model of a person.