I. |reprə̇|zentəd.iv, -prē|z-, -tətiv, in rapid speech often ÷ -pə|z-, chiefly in substand speech -pər|z- adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French representatif, from Medieval Latin repraesentativus, from Latin repraesentatus (past participle of repraesentare to represent) + -ivus -ive
1. : serving to represent, portray, or typify : characterized by representation
a painting representative of a battle
2. : standing for or in the place of another : acting for another or others : constituting the agent for another especially through delegated authority
3. : of, based upon, or constituting a form of government in which the many are represented by persons chosen from among them usually by election
representative government
representative democracy
development of the representative system
4. : serving as a characteristic example : illustrative of a class : conveying an idea of others of the kind : typical
a representative modern play
a representative romantic poem
5.
a. : having the character of a mental representation — compare representation 1e
b. : of or relating to the doctrine of representationalism
the representative theory of knowledge
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : one that stands for a number or class (as of persons or things) : one that in some way corresponds to, replaces, or is equivalent to someone or something else : sample , specimen
many representatives of the Protozoa — R.E.Coker
the student body includes representatives of 36 states — American Guide Series: North Carolina
where distinctly different biological representatives are found — American Guide Series: Minnesota
b. : a typical embodiment of some quality or abstract concept : type
the most authoritative representative … of the ideal of priestly stewardship — V.L.Parrington
of the Semitic family Arabic is the chief living representative — A.L.Kroeber
the sole representative … of the feelings and the knowledge of the middle ages — H.T.Buckle
2. obsolete : a representative body or assembly
debate in the grand representative of the kingdom — Nathaniel Bacon
3. : one that represents another or others in a special capacity: as
a.
(1) : one that represents a constituency as a member of a legislative or other governing body
the people exercises this sovereignty … through the votes of its representatives — D.W.S.Lidderdale
committee … to which no representative of an Arab state had been named — U.N. Bulletin
summoned representatives of the shires and the boroughs to parliament
(2) : a member of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress
(3) : a member of a house of representatives in a state legislature
b.
(1) : one that represents another as agent, deputy, substitute, or delegate usually being invested with the authority of the principal
(2) : one appointed to represent a sovereign or government abroad
the permanent representative of Canada to the North Atlantic Council — Current Biography
served as representative of the president of the United States in conferences with the allies
c. : one who legally represents or stands in the place of a deceased person : legal representative a, personal representative
d. : one that in some respect stands for or in the place of another
money is only a commodious representative of the commodities which may be purchased with it — Joseph Priestley
e. : one that represents a business organization : salesman
local representative of an insurance company
f. : one that represents another as successor or heir : one representing a line or tradition
the last representative of one of the founding families
do not know if his large family has left any representatives today — Notes & Queries