An effigy is a rough representation of a person, for example a George Bush or Guy Fawkes made of straw and old clothing.

In some religious rituals, an effigy is used to represent an undesired person or spirit. The effigy is burned as a sign of the participants' shared intent to banish the represented element from their lives. Political effigies serve a broadly similar purpose on political demonstrations or annual community rituals such as that held in Lewes, on the south coast of England. In Lewes, important figures in current affairs are burned on bonfire night, alongside an effigy of the Pope.