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

“Adults” is such a genuine representation of the people I know and love, and of our generation in many ways.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

As payment, Votorantim will receive 21.4 million newly issued Boliden shares, corresponding to around 7% of the shares and votes in the Swedish company, and Votorantim will also have representation on the Boliden board.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Concerns about cultural identity, political representation and economic development grew.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

This is not a direct representation of relative spend, as some parts are more expensive than others.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 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

The American institution of the sleepaway camp has inspired a genre of cinema, so it’s curious that it calls to mind so few representations in fiction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Plaintiffs in the case, who filed their lawsuit in June 2025, argued that the discovery “flatly disproves” representations the government made in pursuit of the stay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

“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

“Many consumers prefer products advertised as free of preservatives and reasonably rely on prominent front-of-label and point-of-sale representations when making purchase decisions,” the plaintiffs argued.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

And yet it had been glossed over in my education, and in popular culture, representations of the war and its reasons seemed obscured.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Related Words

• depiction
• image
• portrayal