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

In Ávila, where more than 50,000 hectares have burned down since the start of the wildfires, the government's representative said the fire had a "quite favourable" evolution overnight.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

An Arcadia Bluffs representative didn’t respond to a request for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Even so, the authors described the research as rigorous and noted that it used high quality data from a large and representative group of patients.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

“For years, our parents have sought clarity regarding matters connected to the estate of our brother, Chadwick Boseman, including his intellectual property and legacy,” the brothers said in an emailed statement shared by their representative.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Your reviewers needn’t even be a representative sample of your intended audience.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Funding would come from the industry and a board that would include technical specialists and open-source representatives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Dodgers veteran infielder Miguel Rojas and reliever Will Klein visited with senators and representatives on Capitol Hill before the team’s White House visit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

“The American people don’t send people to Washington to get rich, and they deserve confidence that elected representatives are serving the people and not themselves,” he said.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

Labour representatives and the German state of Lower Saxony, who both take a dim view of plant closures, together hold more than half the seats on the supervisory board.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

It was enough that these representatives of official Durham confided in him.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

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