representation
Americannoun
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the act of representing.
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the state of being represented.
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the expression or designation by some term, character, symbol, or the like.
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action or speech on behalf of a person, group, business house, state, or the like by an agent, deputy, or representative.
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the state or fact of being so represented.
to demand representation on a board of directors.
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Government. the state, fact, or right of being represented by delegates having a voice in legislation or government.
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the body or number of representatives, as of a constituency.
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Diplomacy.
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the act of speaking or negotiating on behalf of a state.
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an utterance on behalf of a state.
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presentation to the mind, as of an idea or image.
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a mental image or idea so presented; concept.
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the act of portrayal, picturing, or other rendering in visible form.
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a picture, figure, statue, etc.
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the production or a performance of a play or the like, as on the stage.
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Often representations. a description or statement, as of things true or alleged.
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a statement of facts, reasons, etc., made in appealing or protesting; a protest or remonstrance.
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Law. an implication or statement of fact to which legal liability may attach if material.
a representation of authority.
noun
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the act or an instance of representing or the state of being represented
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anything that represents, such as a verbal or pictorial portrait
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anything that is represented, such as an image brought clearly to mind
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the principle by which delegates act for a constituency
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a body of representatives
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contract law a statement of fact made by one party to induce another to enter into a contract
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an instance of acting for another, on his authority, in a particular capacity, such as executor or administrator
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a dramatic production or performance
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(often plural) a statement of facts, true or alleged, esp one set forth by way of remonstrance or expostulation
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linguistics an analysis of a word, sentence, etc, into its constituents
phonetic representation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of representation
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English representacion, from Latin repraesentātiōn-, stem of repraesentātiō, from repraesentāt(us) “made present” (past participle of repraesentāre “to bring about immediately, make present”; see represent) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A representation acts or serves on behalf or in place of something. A lawyer provides legal representation for his client. A caricature is an exaggerated representation or likeness of a person. Representation comes from the Latin repraesentare meaning "bring before, exhibit." A representation is an exhibit, whether it comes in the form of legal guidance or in the form of artistic expression. The act of representation has to do with replacing or acting on behalf of an original. Elected officials serve as the representation for their constituency — or at least it's supposed to work that way.
Vocabulary lists containing representation
American History I
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even ignoring the element of tradition, New Hampshire, with its small size, ease of access, and traditional obsession with democratic representation and retail politics, easily fits the mold for the earliest contest.
From Slate • May 26, 2026
It was the perfect representation of the generational divide in feelings about AI.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
"There's not representation in the media, there's not representation in higher education. There are lots of places where we don't have the representation we deserve," the actor added.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
The show is a fantastical representation of a cross-country train trip, filled with adorable puppet trains.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Is the angel flying through the wall of the Annunciation of St Anne intended to be an accurate representation of what Mary saw?
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
