representative

1 of 2

adjective

rep·​re·​sen·​ta·​tive ˌre-pri-ˈzen-tə-tiv How to pronounce representative (audio)
1
: serving to represent
2
a
: standing or acting for another especially through delegated authority
b
: of, based on, or constituting a government in which the many are represented by persons chosen from among them usually by election
3
: serving as a typical or characteristic example
a representative moviegoer
4
: of or relating to representation or representationalism
representatively adverb
representativeness noun
representativity noun

representative

2 of 2

noun

1
: one that represents another or others: such as
a(1)
: one that represents a constituency as a member of a legislative body
(2)
: a member of the house of representatives of the U.S. Congress or a state legislature
b
: one that represents another as agent, deputy, substitute, or delegate usually being invested with the authority of the principal
c
: one that represents a business organization
d
: one that represents another as successor or heir
2
: a typical example of a group, class, or quality : specimen

Examples of representative in a Sentence

Adjective The paintings are representative of English art in the early 19th century. The students chosen for the survey are a fairly representative sample of college students from across the U.S. Noun Do you know who your representatives are? The bill was introduced by Representative Smith. a representative of her age group
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
This analysis is based on a CBS News/YouGov survey conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,159 U.S. adult residents interviewed between Feb. 28 and March 1, 2024. Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 These allegations are not representative of the way the Department members conduct themselves daily as is evidenced by another officer bringing the matter to the attention of a supervisor and a criminal investigation being commenced. Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 Former top political adviser for former President Donald Trump Steve Bannon and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sunday evening had top billing at a rally for a Texas state representative candidate in Bartonville. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 The bad news is that such problems are not necessarily representative of the average way that people use generative AI. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 As any parent will tell you, such videos just aren’t representative of what cooking with young kids is typically like. Kate Cray, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2024 The report, part of a study that began in 2012, was based on surveys of a representative sample of more than 3,600 New York City residents that were conducted in 2022 and 2023. Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Some would argue that the jury is entitled to consider their artistic preferences above any representative considerations; others may wonder if all this tweaking and meddling is worth it to culminate in a list not notably more progressive than one the directors’ branch might assemble unassisted. Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 Feb. 2024 Distinctly, American democracy is representative; while every person has the right to pick who takes part in the decision-making, only a select few are actually making the choices. Theodore McDarrah, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
The King, 75, recorded a special message as representatives from 56 nations gather in London on the eve of Commonwealth Day. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Two representatives of Turkey's government and main religious body, including Imam Ali Tos, attended the opening ceremony March 2, one of them reciting prayers to God in a melodious voice before the ribbon-cutting. Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 Members of the Unified Command leading the response include representatives from the EPA, the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency, the Village of East Palestine, the Ohio EPA and Norfolk Southern. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 In what should be the final inning of the great ballpark saga, city and county representatives negotiating with the team have an opportunity to regain control over the Coliseum property. Daniel Borenstein, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 The former New York representative was expelled from the House last year for fabricating his background and his sweeping criminal charges. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Joe Biden or Donald Trump could do so by consulting with representatives from nonunion sectors, such as the auto sector in Alabama or domestic workers in Texas. Desirée Leclercq, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 During the press conference on Wednesday afternoon, representatives from the advocacy groups as well as other women who’ve come forward with their allegations since the bills had passed spoke about the need for action from the industry. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 The rest are to be doled out based on separate conventions also happening that day based on a vote by GOP representatives from each of the state's 13 congressional districts. Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'representative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of representative was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near representative

Cite this Entry

“Representative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/representative. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

representative

1 of 2 adjective
rep·​re·​sen·​ta·​tive ˌrep-ri-ˈzent-ət-iv How to pronounce representative (audio)
1
: serving to represent
a painting representative of a battle
2
: standing or acting for another especially through delegated authority
3
: of, based upon, or being a government in which the people are represented by persons chosen from among them usually by election
4
: serving as a typical example of the thing mentioned
a representative athlete
representatively adverb
representativeness noun

representative

2 of 2 noun
1
: a typical example of a group, class, or quality
2
: one that represents another or others : delegate
especially : a member of the house of representatives of the U.S. Congress or a state legislature

Legal Definition

representative

1 of 2 adjective
rep·​re·​sen·​ta·​tive
1
: serving to represent
2
a
: standing or acting for another especially through delegated authority
an agent acting in a representative capacity
b
: of, based on, or constituting a government in which the people are represented by individuals chosen from among them usually by election
3
: of or relating to representation

representative

2 of 2 noun
: one that represents another or others in a special capacity: as
a
: one that represents a constituency as a member of a legislative or other governing body
specifically : a member of the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress or a state legislature
b
: one that represents another as agent, deputy, substitute, or delegate and that usually is invested with the authority of the principal
c
: one that represents or stands in the place of a deceased person : personal representative
d
: one that represents another as successor or heir
e
: one named as the plaintiff or defendant in a class action to litigate on behalf of the class
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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