INDEX:
1. to represent a person or group
2. someone who represents a person or a group
3. a group of people who go somewhere to represent a country or organization
4. someone who officially represents their government
RELATED WORDS
to have a particular meaning : ↑ MEANING
see also
↑ GOVERNMENT (3)
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1. to represent a person or group
▷ represent /ˌreprɪˈzent/ [transitive verb]
if you represent a person or group at a meeting or in a law court or parliament, you give their opinions and make decisions for them; if you represent a country, school etc in a competition, you have been chosen to compete for that country or school :
▪ Each class will elect two students to represent them on the School Council.
▪ Trade Unions representing ambulance workers yesterday agreed to accept a 5% pay increase.
▪ The new law has been criticized by groups representing disabled people.
▪ The athletes will represent China in this year’s Olympic Games.
▪ Wilson was represented in court by a top criminal lawyer.
▷ on behalf of somebody/on somebody’s behalf /ɒn bɪˈhɑːf əv somebody, ɒn somebodyˈs bɪˈhɑːfǁ-bɪˈhæf/ [preposition]
if you speak to people on behalf of someone, you express their ideas, opinions, or feelings for them :
▪ On behalf of everyone here, I’d like to wish Ted a long and happy retirement.
▪ I would like to thank you all on my mother’s behalf for all your cards and good wishes.
act on behalf of somebody
▪ The lawyer acting on behalf of Mrs Anderson said he would continue the fight to clear her name.
▷ speak for /ˈspiːk fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to represent a group of people by expressing their feelings, thoughts, or beliefs :
▪ David Blunkett, speaking for the Labour Party, said more money should be spent on higher education.
▪ I can only speak for my own family, not for the other families involved in this case.
▷ act for /ˈækt fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb not in passive]
to represent someone by making decisions for them, especially legal or financial decisions :
▪ It’s a good idea to have an estate agent to act for you when you are selling a house.
▪ Lawyers acting for the defendant asked for her case to be adjourned while they examined new evidence.
▷ play/run/swim etc for /ˈpleɪ fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb not in passive]
if you play, run, swim etc for a school, club, or country, you represent it in a sports competition against other schools, clubs, or countries :
▪ Playing rugby for England had always been one of his dreams.
▪ I used to swim for my school.
▪ Simon Short, running for Scotland, is in the lead as they come round the final bend.
2. someone who represents a person or a group
▷ representative /ˌreprɪˈzentətɪv/ [countable noun]
someone who has been chosen to represent an organization or country :
▪ Japan has refused to send a representative to the talks in Geneva.
▪ John Kohorn is the company’s representative in Prague.
representative from
▪ the representative from Belgium
representative of
▪ We discussed these issues with a senior representative of the company.
▷ spokesman/spokeswoman /ˈspəʊksmən, ˈspəʊksˌwʊmən/ [countable noun]
a person who officially gives the opinions of an organization, company, government etc :
spokesman/spokeswoman for
▪ A spokesman for the company denied reports that the new drug could cause heart attacks.
government/ministry/party etc spokesman/spokeswoman
▪ A government spokeswoman said the new laws would protect vulnerable children.
▪ Mr Simon Hughes, a company spokesman, spoke to reporters after the meeting.
▷ spokesperson /ˈspəʊksˌpɜːʳs ə n/ [countable noun]
a word meaning spokesman or spokeswoman, used especially when you do not want to say whether the person is a man or a woman :
spokesperson for
▪ A spokesperson for the company read to waiting reporters from a prepared statement.
spokesperson on
▪ the Labour Party spokesperson on education
government/party/union etc spokesperson
▪ A government spokesperson has denied the allegations of corruption.
▷ agent /ˈeɪdʒ ə nt/ [countable noun]
a person or company which represents another person or company in business, financial, or legal matters :
▪ The firm has an agent in Sydney who deals with the Australian side of the business.
▪ The licence application must be signed by the applicant or his agent.
agent for
▪ The company is the UK agent for a top Danish furniture maker.
▷ envoy /ˈenvɔɪ/ [countable noun]
a person who is sent to another country as an official representative, especially by a government to discuss important matters such as war with another government :
▪ The President met yesterday with an envoy from Pakistan.
send an envoy
▪ Iran agreed to send an envoy to the United Nations for talks on ending the war.
▪ A special envoy was sent to Manila to try and secure the release of the hostages.
▷ delegate /ˈdelɪgət, ˈdeləgət/ [countable noun]
someone who is sent to an important meeting by a country or organization in order to represent them by speaking for them and voting for them :
▪ I sat next to the Canadian delegate.
delegate to
▪ The US delegate to the committee announced a grant of $75 million to help third world countries.
send a delegate
▪ Some local branches have refused to send delegates to the national conference.
▷ mouthpiece /ˈmaʊθpiːs/ [countable noun usually singular]
a person, organization, or newspaper which only gives the opinions of one person or organization and which does not have anything original to say :
▪ In 1917 Stalin became editor of Pravda, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party.
▪ The Chemical Manufacturers Association is the mouthpiece of the American chemicals industry.
3. a group of people who go somewhere to represent a country or organization
▷ delegation /ˌdelɪˈgeɪʃ ə n, ˌdeləˈgeɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun with singular or plural verb in British English]
a team of people who have been sent by an organization or a country to represent them at an important meeting :
delegation of
▪ The health ministers agreed to meet a delegation of heart patients.
delegation from
▪ A delegation from Nigeria has arrived to have talks with the British foreign minister.
send a delegation
▪ Headteachers have sent a delegation to London to ask the government to put more money into education.
lead a delegation
▪ The Dutch Prime Minister led a 12 member economic delegation to Indonesia to discuss future investments in the country.
▷ deputation /ˌdepjɑˈteɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun with singular or plural verb in British English] formal
a group of people representing a larger group who are sent to talk to a person in authority in order to make a complaint or a request :
deputation of
▪ A deputation of church leaders has met with the government to discuss the teaching of religion in schools.
meet/receive a deputation
▪ In the morning the minister received a deputation from the National Union of Farmers protesting about the government’s plans to cut agricultural subsidies.
▷ mission /ˈmɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun with singular or plural verb in British English]
a group of people who are sent by their government to another country in order to discuss something :
▪ The French President has sent a mission to the region to try to find a peace formula.
trade mission
a mission to discuss trade
▪ A British trade mission has arrived in Moscow.
4. someone who officially represents their government
▷ diplomat /ˈdɪpləmæt/ [countable noun]
▪ Ambassador Thompson is an experienced diplomat who has served in France, South America, and the Middle East.
▪ British and Argentinian diplomats met to discuss peace.
▷ diplomatic /ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk◂/ [adjective only before noun]
relating to the people who officially represent their government in a foreign country :
▪ Most members of the European diplomatic community have already left the country as war now seems inevitable.
diplomatic service
the government department that employs diplomats
▪ He joined the diplomatic service and was posted to Ankara.
diplomatic relations
the relationship between governments that depends on having diplomats in each others’ countries
▪ The governments of Britain and Syria are anxious to re-establish diplomatic relations.
▷ ambassador /æmˈbæsədəʳ/ [countable noun]
a diplomat of the highest rank who is the official representative of their government in a foreign country :
a British/French/US etc ambassador
▪ Sir Auckland Geddes is the British ambassador to Washington,
ambassador to
▪ Ms Takahashi was the first Japanese woman ever to be appointed ambassador to a foreign country.
▷ embassy /ˈembəsi/ [countable noun]
the group of people who are sent to live in a foreign country in order to officially represent their government in that country :
the British/French/American etc embassy
▪ Travellers in Spain who are worried about the situation are advised to contact the British Embassy in Madrid.
▪ The American Embassy employs 50 local people in administrative positions.