representative

¹rep·re·sen·ta·tive

adjective \ˌre-pri-ˈzen-tə-tiv\

Definition of REPRESENTATIVE

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

— rep·re·sen·ta·tive·ly adverb

— rep·re·sen·ta·tive·ness noun

— rep·re·sen·ta·tiv·i·ty \-ˌzen-tə-ˈti-və-tē\ noun

Examples of REPRESENTATIVE

1. The paintings are representative of English art in the early 19th century.
2. The students chosen for the survey are a fairly representative sample of college students from across the U.S.

First Known Use of REPRESENTATIVE

14th century

Related to REPRESENTATIVE

Synonyms

archetypal (also archetypical), average, characteristic, normal, regular, typical, standard, true

Antonyms

aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, irregular, nonrepresentative, nontypical, untypical

Related Words

common, commonplace, conventional, customary, everyday, ordinary, usual, wonted, workaday; classic, textbook, vintage; expected, familiar, habitual, predictable, routine, unexceptional, unremarkable; predominant, preponderant

Near Antonyms

uncommon, unconventional, uncustomary, unusual, unwonted; distinctive, especial, exceptional, extraordinary, infrequent, noteworthy, rare, remarkable, singular, special, unexpected, unfamiliar, unique, unpredictable; eccentric, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, peculiar, unknown, unorthodox; curious, erratic, funky, funny, odd, oddball, offbeat, outlandish, quirky, screwy, strange, wacky (also whacky), way-out; bizarre, fantastic (also fantastical), far-out, freak, freakish, kooky (also kookie), out-of-the-way, outrageous, outré, rare, singular, unnatural, weird, wild

Rhymes with REPRESENTATIVE

argumentative

²representative

noun

Definition of REPRESENTATIVE

1

: one that represents another or others: 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 United States 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

1. Do you know who your representatives are?
2. The bill was introduced by Representative Smith.
3. a representative of her age group

First Known Use of REPRESENTATIVE

1635

Related to REPRESENTATIVE

Synonyms

assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, deputy, envoy, factor, minister, procurator, proxy, rep, agent

Related Words

ambassador, diplomat, diplomatist, emissary, foreign minister, legate, plenipotentiary; alternate, backup, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, stand-in, sub, substitute, surrogate, understudy; informer, operative, spy; broker, distributor, manager; arbiter, arbitrator, comprador (or compradore), conciliator, go-between, intercessor, intermediary, interposer, liaison, mediator, middleman, peacemaker; mouthpiece, point man, point person, prophet, speaker, spokesman, spokesperson

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite