representation

American  

[rep-ri-zen-tay-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

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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

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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

It also receives information about sounds and physical sensations, organizing these signals into maps that align with its visual representation on the opposite side of the brain.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

Despite the shift in representation, both Ugarte and Mazariegos have said they are committed to ensuring Black residents are heard and represented.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Is it meant to answer a plea for more millennial representation on screen?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Mark Casci, head of policy and representation at West Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said the city was the "perfect location" for the college.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

The Separate Representation of Voters Act eventually robbed the Coloureds of their representation in Parliament.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Instead of developing increasingly separate neural representations of the two locations, the animals' brain activity began to show overlapping patterns.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

Weil fell out of the top 10 in company-side chapter 11 representations through the first nine months of this year, according to credit data provider Octus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

The meeting heard representations have been made to the JCC by the gynaecology clinical improvement network, which is part of NHS performance and improvement, pressing the need for a pan-Wales approach.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

But generative AI tools are making it faster and easier for anyone to create false representations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

This was much too long even for me to remain in limbo, so I spent the rest of the afternoon cutting accurate representations of the bases out of stiff cardboard.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

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Related Words

• depiction
• image
• portrayal

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