representative

American  

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

noun

• representatives
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• representatives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of representative

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

Explanation

If you're representative of some group, you're typical, you’re a lot like most of the others. You might also be a representative for your group; you were elected to act on behalf of those you represent. The U.S. and many other democracies have representative governments, in which voters elect people to act on their behalf — to represent them. In the U.S., the House of Representatives is the largest legislative body. Its members — congressmen and congresswomen — are elected by the voters of their districts. These representatives are supposed to listen to the views of the people from their districts and act in their best interests.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

representative representatives

The California Gig Workers Union is on the cusp of being certified as the collective bargaining representative for Uber and Lyft drivers in the state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, served as a U.S. representative from Pennsylvania, 2007-11, and as undersecretary of the Army, 2016-17.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Statistics Jersey said the report was determined from earnings data collected from a large representative survey of employers and all Government of Jersey departments.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

As Adam Morgan, a Norman supporter and former state representative, told Slate, “Lindsey had a cap on his popularity, and I think that’s reflected in the polls.”

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

Still waiting for Mrs. Baker to send down a representative for the cupcakes.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt

He joins a list of at least 10 other representatives who have become mired in ethics accusations, on top of three members forced to resign this year over financial or sexual scandals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

But representatives for landlords say doing so would leave them with few desirable options for recouping the cost of utilities and would hurt conservation efforts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

That community leaders and representatives of the business and faith communities will feel included in the decisions.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate portrays himself as "uberwealthy" but did not own cars and a yacht featured on his social media and exaggerated his lifestyle for online attention, his legal representatives have said.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

A police official convinced them to send representatives inside the school to check.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals

Related Words

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