representative

[rep-ri-zen-tuh-tiv] /ˌrɛp rɪˈzɛn tə tɪv/
noun
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.
adjective
5.
serving to represent; representing.
6.
standing or acting for another or others.
7.
made up of representatives:
a representative assembly.
8.
Government. of or pertaining to a system of governance by chosen representatives, usually elected from among a large group, as in representative democracy; representative government.
9.
exemplifying a group or kind; typical:
a representative selection of Elizabethan plays.
10.
corresponding to or replacing some other species or the like, as in a different locality.
11.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of representationalism.
12.
pertaining to or of the nature of a mental image or representation.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English (adj.) < Medieval Latin repraesentātīvus, equivalent to repraesentāt(us) (see representation) + -īvus -ive
Related forms
representatively, adverb
representativeness, noun
nonrepresentative, noun, adjective
nonrepresentatively, adverb
nonrepresentativeness, noun
overrepresentative, adjective
overrepresentatively, adverb
overrepresentativeness, noun
unrepresentative, adjective
unrepresentatively, adverb
unrepresentativeness, noun
Synonyms
5. symbolic, exemplary, typical, characteristic.
Examples from the web for representative
  • And there is a joy in perceiving the representative or symbolic character of a fact, which no bare fact or event can ever give.
  • Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists.
  • He is both a good first reader and a representative of the ultimate consumer.
  • Most people aren't inveterate skeptics vigilantly testing each anecdote to make sure it is representative of an overall pattern.
  • Thirty subjects is hardly enough to be representative of the general population.
  • And they have impoverished the state's representative government.
  • Even sophisticated multinationals could set up a representative office in hours without concern for continuous paperwork.
  • If its representative democracy functioned well, that might not be so debilitating.
  • The responding sample is weighted to the profile of the sample definition to provide a representative reporting sample.
  • In many ways, apps are representative of the changes taking place in personal technology.
British Dictionary definitions for representative

representative

/ˌrɛprɪˈzɛntətɪv/
noun
1.
a person or thing that represents another or others
2.
a person who represents and tries to sell the products or services of a firm, esp a travelling salesman Often shortened to rep
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.
(NZ) a rugby player, football player, etc, chosen to represent a province in interprovincial sports
adjective
6.
serving to represent; symbolic
7.
  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
8.
acting as deputy or proxy for another or others
9.
acting for or representing a constituency or the whole people in the process of government: a representative council
10.
of, characterized by, or relating to the political principle of representation of the people: representative government
11.
of or relating to a mental picture or representation
Derived Forms
representatively, adverb
representativeness, noun
Word Origin and History for 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.

n.

1640s, "example, type," from representative (adj.); 1690s in sense of "member of a legislative body."