What does rigging mean?
Rigging has both a technical meaning and a strongly figurative one. In sailing and engineering, rigging denotes the ropes, cables, wires, and fittings used to support and control a ship's masts, sails, and spars. The word can also mean equipment more generally, as in stage rigging, the apparatus used to raise or suspend scenery and performers. In contemporary political and commercial language, however, rigging usually describes dishonest interference designed to secure a particular result: an election, competition, tender process, or market may all be said to have been rigged. This sense carries a strong implication of deliberate deception rather than ordinary influence or difficult conditions. Both meanings share the idea of arranging and controlling a system, but they differ sharply in evaluation. The nautical sense is largely neutral and technical, while the figurative sense is almost invariably accusatory. Rigging is therefore a useful word for identifying equipment and structural mechanisms as well as concealed manipulation of supposedly fair processes.
The ropes, cables, wires, and fittings used to support and control a ship's masts, sails, and spars; more broadly, equipment used to support, suspend, or operate something. It can also name the dishonest arrangement of an election, competition, or market.
"The crew repaired the damaged rigging before the storm returned."
Ship rigging is normally treated as an uncountable collective noun. The term for dishonest manipulation is usually found in combinations such as election rigging or market rigging.
To fit or equip something, especially with ropes or other apparatus. In its figurative use, it means to manipulate an election, competition, market, or process dishonestly so that a desired outcome is obtained.
"The regulator accused the company of rigging the auction."
The verb is used as a gerund or present participle. Its dishonest sense is normally transitive and commonly appears with words such as election, vote, competition, market, and tender.
Rare; usually used for separate sets of equipment or clothing. Nautical ship rigging is normally uncountable.
"The designers prepared separate riggings for the two acts."
From the ropes of a sailing ship to the rigging of an election, the word describes systems that put things in place—sometimes honestly, and sometimes not.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rigging come from?
English rigging belongs to the word family of Middle English riggen, a word of Scandinavian origin associated with Danish rig, Norwegian rig, and Swedish rigg. The English noun developed in the context of ships and sailing, where rigging refers collectively to the ropes and related fittings that support and operate the vessel's spars and sails. The verb later extended figuratively from the idea of fitting or controlling equipment to the sense of arranging an outcome dishonestly.
How rigging is actually used
In nautical and technical contexts, the word is formal and normally neutral or specialist. In political, commercial, and sporting contexts, it is strongly negative and implies deliberate manipulation. There is no significant British–US difference in usage.
Easily confused with rigging
A rig is an installation, vehicle, or piece of equipment, whereas rigging usually refers to the ropes and equipment used to operate, secure, or manipulate it.