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

A representative for Heathrow Airport said: "Our thoughts are with Georgie's family and friends, as well as all of our colleagues in the wider Virgin Atlantic family who feel this loss."

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

An increasing number of Medicaid programs permit the beneficiary or their representative to hire caregivers themselves under so-called self-direction programs.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 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

“Your Majesty,” he said formally, “I come as a representative of my father, King Cai Simin Tan. He regrets that he is personally unable to respond to your invitation.”

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo

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

Ferguson's representatives have not responded to previous requests for comment on the documents.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

I zipped through to the TSA checkpoint at SFO without having to pass through one or two representatives and a kiosk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 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

Now, as race time approached, sales representatives were trundling the last few radios ordered the night before into Seattle homes and setting them up.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

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