represent
Americanverb (used with object)
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represents,
present (3rd person singular)
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represented,
past participle, past
-
representing
present participle
-
to serve to express, designate, stand for, or denote, as a word, symbol, or the like does; symbolize.
In this painting the cat represents evil and the bird, good.
- Synonyms:
- exemplify
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to express or designate by some term, character, symbol, or the like.
to represent musical sounds by notes.
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to stand or act in the place of, as a substitute, proxy, or agent does.
He represents the company in Boston.
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to speak and act for by delegated authority.
to represent one's government in a foreign country.
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to act for or in behalf of (a constituency, state, etc.) by deputed right in exercising a voice in legislation or government.
He represents Chicago's third Congressional district.
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to portray or depict; present the likeness of, as a picture does.
The painting represents him as a man 22 years old.
- Synonyms:
- delineate
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to present or picture to the mind.
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to present in words; set forth; describe; state.
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to set forth or describe as having a particular character (usually followed by as, to be, etc.).
The article represented the dictator as a benevolent despot.
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to set forth clearly or earnestly with a view to influencing opinion or action or making protest.
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to present, produce, or perform, as on a stage.
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to impersonate, as in acting.
- Synonyms:
- portray
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to serve as an example or specimen of; exemplify.
a genus represented by two species.
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to be the equivalent of; correspond to.
The llama of the New World represents the camel of the Old World.
verb (used without object)
-
represents,
present (3rd person singular)
-
represented,
past participle, past
-
representing
present participle
-
to protest; make representations against.
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Slang. to use or display a secret handshake, sign, gesture, etc., for purposes of identification.
The gang members always represent when they see one another.
verb
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to stand as an equivalent of; correspond to
our tent represents home to us when we go camping
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to act as a substitute or proxy (for)
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to act as or be the authorized delegate or agent for (a person, country, etc)
an MP represents his constituency
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to serve or use as a means of expressing
letters represent the sounds of speech
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to exhibit the characteristics of; exemplify; typify
romanticism in music is represented by Beethoven
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to present an image of through the medium of a picture or sculpture; portray
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to bring clearly before the mind
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to set forth in words; state or explain
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to describe as having a specified character or quality; make out to be
he represented her as a saint
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to act out the part of on stage; portray
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to perform or produce (a play); stage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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representabilitynoun
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prerepresentverb (used with object)
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nonrepresentableadjective
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representableadjective
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unrepresentableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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representsimple
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representssimple
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have representedperfect
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has representedperfect
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am representingprogressive
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are representingprogressive
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is representingprogressive
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have been representingperfect progressive
-
has been representingperfect progressive
Past
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representedsimple
-
had representedperfect
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was representingprogressive
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were representingprogressive
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had been representingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of represent
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English representen, from Middle French representer, from Latin repraesentāre “to bring about immediately, make present,” equivalent to re- re- ( def. ) + praesentāre “to present 2 ( def. ) ”
Explanation
Use the word represent when something stands in for something else — whether it's your congressman representing your interests in Washington or the thimble that represents you as it makes its way around the Monopoly board. We live in a democracy in which we elect a few people to represent the wishes and desires of the rest of us. Their job is literally to "re-present" the voters' demands in Congress. That's why we call them our "representatives." In the world of art, however, to represent something can mean to express its essence by means of something different. For example a ball of string can represent, or symbolize, a cat.
Vocabulary lists containing represent
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
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List 6
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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.
See Examples For:
Many studies also rely on simplified mathematical models, including the widely used Kuramoto model, that represent each node with only a single variable.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
"I'm ready to do that and represent my country. It's something new but something that I feel comes with the player I'm becoming."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
BofA analysts say Amazon’s reported plans to expand same-day fulfillment centers represent an effort to make basic goods “immediately accessible.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Since most of these peptides represent only a small dose of active medication, side effects may be unlikely, but so will any chance of a meaningful clinical effect.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
That the squiggly lines represent the “topography” of the park, or the ups and downs of the ground.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
The letter represents a rare alignment between competing factions of the U.S. auto industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Fox, who represents Bishop Auckland, confirmed her departure from Reform to Cathy Newman on Sky News, external on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
“We understand trading cards represents a small sliver of the business” for Target, “likely in the 1% to 2% range of total revenue,” the Mizuho analysts, led by David Bellinger, said in their note.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
It represents about 15% of rice consumption worldwide.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
It represents everything that I hate about the world.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
What remained unclear was whether these examples represented rare exceptions or pointed to a much broader rule.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
This extraordinary story starts at the 1928 Olympic Games, which represented a huge - if temporary - step forward for women's sports.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
He was later elected to the group that represented all United pilots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Those inside the industry are best represented by Dario Amodei, who co-founded Anthropic, now a major AI giant heading toward a historic IPO.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
For the Arabs, and for astronomers relying on Arabic sources, Arim represented the degree zero of longitude and latitude.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
A colony can remain concealed inside a piece of wood, with winged reproductive termites representing one of the few life stages that routinely venture outside.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
"I'm aware of the role I have as the number one player and I am representing my country, so there's always a little more responsibility," Fery told BBC Sport.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Tina Wolfson, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, said the case also centers on Meta’s surveillance of people’s lives without their consent and the exploitation of their image and likeness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
He was representing a buyer considering a property listed for $379,000 in Jersey City, N.J.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
He then explained this affectionate apostrophe, by touching his brooch representing the lady and the weeping willow at the tomb with the urn upon it, and saying, “Had it made for me, express!”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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.
