representative Hear it!

representative Definition

rep·re·senta·tive (rep′rə zen′tə tiv)

adjective

  1. representing or serving to represent; specif.,
    1. picturing; portraying; reproducing
    2. acting or speaking, esp. by due authority, in the place or on behalf of another or others; esp., serving as a delegate in a legislative assembly
  2. composed of persons duly authorized, as by election, to act and speak for others a representative assembly
  3. of, characterized by, or based on representation of the people by elected delegates representative government
  4. being an example or type of a certain class or kind of thing; typical a building representative of modern architecture

Etymology: ME < MFr or ML: MFr représentatif < ML repraesentativus

noun

  1. a person or thing enough like the others in its class or kind to serve as an example or type
  2. a person duly authorized to act or speak for another or others; specif.,
    1. a member of a legislative assembly
    2. a salesman or agent for a business firm
  3. ☆ a member of the lower house of Congress (House of Representatives) or of a State legislature

representative Related Forms
rep′·re·sent′a·tively adverb rep′·re·sent′a·tive·ness noun
representative Synonyms

representative

modif.

  1. Characteristic

    typical, symbolic, illustrative, emblematic; see characteristic, illustrative, typical.

  2. Characterized by representation by elected delegates

    democratic, elected, representational; see democratic, republican.

representative Synonyms

representative

n.

  1. An emissary

    deputy, spokesperson, sales agent; see agent 1, delegate, diplomat 1.

    Diplomatic and consular representatives include: envoy, ambassador, consul, deputy, emissary, legate, minister, plenipotentiary, nuncio, attaché, diplomatic agent, chancellor, commissioner.

  2. One who is elected to the lower legislative body

    congressman, congresswoman, assemblyman, assemblywoman, councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, member of congress, member of parliament, deputy, legislator, councilor, Speaker of the House; see also legislator, senator.

representative Law Definition

n

Agent; someone who is authorized to act in place of and on behalf of someone else, by that other person for some special purpose. A representative is entitled to certain rights based upon her or his status, including the right to bargain on behalf of employees, or to discovery of trial preparation materials. See also personal representative and registered representative.
representative Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • elect: The BNP now has no elected representatives in London.
  • nominate: Please also make sure that your nominated representatives have a copy.
  • authorize: Ensuring that details of your service are only discussed with you or your authorized representative.
  • appoint: Contact details Please tell us whether or not you wish to appoint a representative to deal with correspondence from us.
  • comprise: Two working groups were also convened, comprising representatives from countries which have signed the treaty.
  • invite: She also informed the DMC that this year they were proposing to invite tenant representatives to a seminar with appointed surveyors.

Adjective modifier

  • elected: Every one of our elected representatives had to make their choice.
  • appointed: Mid Kent Water Ltd is an appointed representative of Homeserve GB Ltd for insurance mediation activity.
  • his/her: The student or his/her representative shall present the case to the panel, calling such witnesses and presenting such evidence as he/she thinks fit.
  • senior: Grocery Trade Liaison Committee consists of senior company representatives.
  • legal: The mediator may ask the legal representatives to do a risk assessment with their parties.
  • departmental: Organization of EHE remained in the hands of the departmental representative but, significantly perhaps, a further five staff made significant inputs.

Modifies a noun

  • sample: In the early summer, we invited a representative sample of firms to confirm whether their preparations were on track.
  • democracy: The tardy introduction of representative democracy there by Britain provided an excuse for the dismantling of much of what was formerly in place.
  • body: Ramblers Scotland The representative body for walkers in Scotland.
  • cross-section: I feel that is probably a representative cross-section of society at large in line with the proportion of Catholics and Protestants in the country.

Noun used with modifier

  • union: In the past he had been a union representative.
  • safety: Young workers - a guide for safety representatives, TUC [ pdf ]. TUC young workers ' webpages.
  • employe: What rights do employe representatives have to time off for consulting over redundancies or business transfers?
  • trade: The trade union representative must also be a work colleague.
representative Quotes

I am a Catholic. As far as possible I go to Mass every day. Asfaraspossible Ikneeldownandtell these beadsevery day. If you reject me on account of my religion, I shall thank God that he has spared me the indignity of being your representative.

—Belloc, (Joseph) Hilaire Pierre

I believe the intellectual life of the whole of western society is increasingly being split into two polar groups† Literary intellectuals at one poleöat the other scientists, and as the most representative, the physical scientists. Between the two a gulf of mutual incomprehension.

—Snow, C(harles) P(ercy), 1st Baron

I am not charmed with the ideal of life held out by those who think that the normal state of human beings is that of struggling to get on. I know not why it should be a matter of congratulation that persons who are already richer than any one needs to be, should have doubled their means of consuming things which give little or no pleasure except as representative of wealth.

—Mill,John Stuart