rep·re·sen·ta·tive
ˌre-pri-ˈzen-tə-tiv
1
: serving to represent
a painting representative of a storm
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
representative democracy
3
a
: serving as a typical or characteristic example of a particular group of people or of a particular thing
a representative moviegoer
a representative romantic poem
The paintings are representative of English art in the early 19th century.
b
: including examples of the different types of people or things in a group
The students chosen for the survey are a fairly representative sample of college students from across the U.S.
However, representation simply is not enough—especially when it is one-dimensional, superficial, or not actually representative. Some scholars describe how Asian American media depictions still tend to reinforce stereotypes …—Kevin Leo Yabut Nadal
4
: of or relating to representation or representationalism
plural representatives
1
: someone or something that represents another or others: such as
a(1)
: someone who 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
state representatives
b
: someone who represents another as agent, deputy, substitute, or delegate usually being invested with the authority of the principal
c
: someone who represents a business organization
a sales representative
d
: someone who represents a social group sharing an affiliation or culture
Various representatives of community resources and cultures assisted in deepening the recruits' understanding of the community, its people, available services, and fostering connections with local non-profit organizations.—Marla Poirier
e
: someone who represents another as successor or heir
2
: a typical example of a group, class, or quality : specimen
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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