Etymology Map
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Figment

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means something that exists only in the imagination

Where does the word "figment" come from? It comes from Latin figmentum, adopted directly into English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
figmentum
Latin · ancient
"something formed"
from 'fingere', to shape, the root of 'fiction'
2
Stage 2 of 2
figment
English · 1400s
"invention"
'figment of the imagination' dates from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Figment’s story begins in Latin: figmentum meant “something formed.” From 'fingere', to shape, the root of 'fiction'. It reached English by 1400s as figment. 'figment of the imagination' dates from the 1800s. Today, figment means something that exists only in the imagination.