representative

American  

[rep-ri-zen-tuh-tiv] / ˌrɛp rɪˈzɛn tə tɪv /

noun

1. a person or thing that represents another or others.

2. an agent or deputy.

   a legal representative.

3. a person who represents a constituency or community in a legislative body, especially a member of the U.S. House of Representatives or a lower house in certain state legislatures.

4. a typical example or specimen of a group, quality, or kind.

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adjective

1. serving to represent; representing.

   Synonyms:

   characteristic, typical, exemplary, symbolic

2. standing or acting for another or others.

3. made up of representatives.

   a representative assembly.

4. Government. of or relating to a system of governance by chosen representatives, usually elected from among a large group, as in

5. exemplifying a group or kind; typical.

   a representative selection of Elizabethan plays.

6. corresponding to or replacing some other species or the like, as in a different locality.

7. of, relating to, or characteristic of representationalism.

8. pertaining to or of the nature of a mental image or representation.

representative British  

/ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛntətɪv /

noun

1. a person or thing that represents another or others

2. Often shortened to: rep.  a person who represents and tries to sell the products or services of a firm, esp a travelling salesman

3. a typical example

4. a person representing a constituency in a deliberative, legislative, or executive body, esp ( capital ) a member of the House of Representatives (the lower house of Congress) See also House of Representatives

5. a rugby player, football player, etc, chosen to represent a province in interprovincial sports

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adjective

1. serving to represent; symbolic

2. 1. exemplifying a class or kind; typical

      a representative example of the species

   2. containing or including examples of all the interests, types, etc, in a group

      a representative collection

3. acting as deputy or proxy for another or others

4. acting for or representing a constituency or the whole people in the process of government

   a representative council

5. of, characterized by, or relating to the political principle of representation of the people

   representative government

6. of or relating to a mental picture or representation

Other Word Forms

• nonrepresentative noun
• nonrepresentatively adverb
• nonrepresentativeness noun
• overrepresentative adjective
• overrepresentatively adverb
• overrepresentativeness noun
• representatively adverb
• representativeness noun
• unrepresentative adjective
• unrepresentatively adverb
• unrepresentativeness noun

Etymology

Origin of representative

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (adjective), from Medieval Latin repraesentātīvus, from repraesentāt(us) “made present” ( representation ) + -īvus -ive

Example Sentences

The university’s location in a finance hub helps students meet company representatives from Wells Fargo and Bank of America, said Christian Varnado, an assistant director at the campus’s career-services center.

From The Wall Street Journal

He claimed at the tribunal in August that he had suffered from anxiety and depression, while a union representative said he "had suffered from a recognised condition that day, known as transient global amnesia".

From BBC

A student representative said there were around 500 to 600 Pakistanis at universities in one Afghan province alone, Nangarhar, who were looking for a way back.

From Barron's

“We will continue to monitor when the Caribbean airspace will reopen and operations can resume,” said a company representative, adding that customers whose flights are canceled can rebook their travel or request a refund.

From The Wall Street Journal

Over the summer, representatives for the UPS Store reached out to Guinness World Records after realizing it could qualify for a title.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agent
• commissioner
• counselor
• delegate
• deputy
• lawyer
• legislator
• member
• senator