representation

American  

[rep-ri-zen-tey-shuhn, -zuhn-] / ˌrɛp rɪ zɛnˈteɪ ʃən, -zən- /

noun

representations plural

1. the act of representing.

2. the state of being represented.

3. the expression or designation by some term, character, symbol, or the like.

4. action or speech on behalf of a person, group, business house, state, or the like by an agent, deputy, or representative.

5. the state or fact of being so represented.

   to demand representation on a board of directors.

6. Government. the state, fact, or right of being represented by delegates having a voice in legislation or government.

7. the body or number of representatives, as of a constituency.

8. Diplomacy.

   1. the act of speaking or negotiating on behalf of a state.

   2. an utterance on behalf of a state.

9. presentation to the mind, as of an idea or image.

10. a mental image or idea so presented; concept.

11. the act of portrayal, picturing, or other rendering in visible form.

12. a picture, figure, statue, etc.

13. the production or a performance of a play or the like, as on the stage.

14. Often representations. a description or statement, as of things true or alleged.

15. a statement of facts, reasons, etc., made in appealing or protesting; a protest or remonstrance.

16. Law. an implication or statement of fact to which legal liability may attach if material.

    a representation of authority.

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representation British  

/ ˌrɛprɪzɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of representing or the state of being represented

2. anything that represents, such as a verbal or pictorial portrait

3. anything that is represented, such as an image brought clearly to mind

4. the principle by which delegates act for a constituency

5. a body of representatives

6. contract law a statement of fact made by one party to induce another to enter into a contract

7. an instance of acting for another, on his authority, in a particular capacity, such as executor or administrator

8. a dramatic production or performance

9. (often plural) a statement of facts, true or alleged, esp one set forth by way of remonstrance or expostulation

10. linguistics an analysis of a word, sentence, etc, into its constituents

    phonetic representation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrepresentation
  noun
• overrepresentation
  noun
• prerepresentation
  noun
• self-representation
  noun
• underrepresentation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• representations
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

representation representations

“The representation of Odysseus as a reluctant warlord makes a nonsense of the movie’s imagined world,” she writes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

In addition to preventing lawful and decent burials, Bush, 48, previously pleaded guilty to 35 counts of fraud by false representation and another of fraudulently running a business, relating to the sale of funeral plans.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

“Talking with friends is one thing, but having that visual representation of what I want versus what I’m allowing is another,” said Travis, a child-welfare advocate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

I’d say that’s a pretty good representation of the gap between the long-shot fantasy of midlife and an intimate understanding of how it actually turns out.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Our starting point in Chapter 5 is the invention of perspective painting, which involved the application of geometrical principles to pictorial representation.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

“As with all of our client representations, we do not publicly discuss confidential matters involving our representation of the President,” the spokesman said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

In addition to studying race and gender demographics in the film industry, the report also examined on-camera representations of disability.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

Like the backrooms, one can find faithful representations of human behavior, and unfaithful representations.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026

"We need actions, we need to know what representations they've made to the Israeli foreign ministry. We need to know what actions they're doing to get our loved ones out."

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

Much more difficulty came from the necessity to fabricate representations of the inorganic ions.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• depiction
• image
• portrayal