figurehead

[ fig-yer-hed ]
See synonyms for figurehead on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person who is head of a group, company, etc., in title but actually has no real authority or responsibility: Most modern kings and queens are figureheads.

  2. Nautical. a carved full-length figure or bust built into the bow of a sailing ship.

Origin of figurehead

1
First recorded in 1755–65; figure + head

Words Nearby figurehead

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use figurehead in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for figurehead

figurehead

/ (ˈfɪɡəˌhɛd) /


noun
  1. a person nominally having a prominent position, but no real authority

  2. a carved bust or full-length figure at the upper end of the stems of some sailing vessels

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012