a person or thing that represents another or others.
an agent or deputy: a legal representative.
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.
a typical example or specimen of a group, quality, or kind.
made up of representatives: a representative assembly.
Government. of or relating to a system of governance by chosen representatives, usually elected from among a large group, as in representative democracy; representative government.
exemplifying a group or kind; typical: a representative selection of Elizabethan plays.
corresponding to or replacing some other species or the like, as in a different locality.
of, relating to, or characteristic of representationalism.
pertaining to or of the nature of a mental image or representation.
Origin of representative
1350–1400;Middle English (adj.) < Medieval Latinrepraesentātīvus, equivalent to repraesentāt(us) (see representation) + -īvus-ive
British Dictionary definitions for representative government
representative
noun
a person or thing that represents another or others
a person who represents and tries to sell the products or services of a firm, esp a travelling salesmanOften shortened to: rep
a typical example
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
NZa rugby player, football player, etc, chosen to represent a province in interprovincial sports
adjective
serving to represent; symbolic
exemplifying a class or kind; typicala representative example of the species
containing or including examples of all the interests, types, etc, in a groupa representative collection
acting as deputy or proxy for another or others
acting for or representing a constituency or the whole people in the process of governmenta representative council
of, characterized by, or relating to the political principle of representation of the peoplerepresentative government
of or relating to a mental picture or representation
Word Origin and History for representative government
representative
adj.
"serving to represent," late 14c., from Old French representatif (early 14c.), from Medieval Latin repraesentativus, from stem of Latin repraesentare (see represent). Meaning "standing for others" is from 1620s; in the political sense of "holding the place of the people in the government, having citizens represented by chosen persons" is first recorded 1620s. Meaning "pertaining to or founded on representation of the people" is from 1640s.
representative
n.
1640s, "example, type," from representative (adj.); 1690s in sense of "member of a legislative body."
