representative
Americannoun
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a person or thing that represents another or others.
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an agent or deputy.
a legal representative.
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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.
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a typical example or specimen of a group, quality, or kind.
adjective
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serving to represent; representing.
- Synonyms:
- characteristic, typical, exemplary, symbolic
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standing or acting for another or others.
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made up of representatives.
a representative assembly.
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Government. of or relating to a system of governance by chosen representatives, usually elected from among a large group, as in
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exemplifying a group or kind; typical.
a representative selection of Elizabethan plays.
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corresponding to or replacing some other species or the like, as in a different locality.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of representationalism.
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pertaining to or of the nature of a mental image or representation.
noun
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a person or thing that represents another or others
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Often shortened to: rep. a person who represents and tries to sell the products or services of a firm, esp a travelling salesman
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a typical example
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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
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a rugby player, football player, etc, chosen to represent a province in interprovincial sports
adjective
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serving to represent; symbolic
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exemplifying a class or kind; typical
a representative example of the species
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containing or including examples of all the interests, types, etc, in a group
a representative collection
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acting as deputy or proxy for another or others
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acting for or representing a constituency or the whole people in the process of government
a representative council
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of, characterized by, or relating to the political principle of representation of the people
representative government
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of or relating to a mental picture or representation
Other Word Forms
- nonrepresentative noun
- nonrepresentatively adverb
- nonrepresentativeness noun
- overrepresentative adjective
- overrepresentatively adverb
- overrepresentativeness noun
- representatively adverb
- representativeness noun
- unrepresentative adjective
- unrepresentatively adverb
- unrepresentativeness noun
Etymology
Origin of representative
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (adjective), from Medieval Latin repraesentātīvus, from repraesentāt(us) “made present” ( representation ) + -īvus -ive
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.
“IULs are an option for people seeking flexibility in their financial planning,” a representative from the American Council of Life Insurers told MarketWatch via email.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
Oregon’s Worker Fraud Protection Act makes it illegal to “falsely impersonate” a union representative and imposes fines for infractions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
“Megan is incredibly grateful for the prayers and well-wishes from her supporters,” her representative said in a statement, “and is looking forward to resuming her role as Zidler on Moulin Rouge on Thursday.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
In the absence of a fresh census, it has relied on sample surveys - from consumption expenditure to labour force data - with the statistics ministry working to keep them broadly representative.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Tilantongo's representative was 8-Deer, who attended the meeting in place of his recently deceased father.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
