overrepresented

adjective

over·​rep·​re·​sent·​ed ˈō-vər-ˌre-pri-ˈzen-təd 

ˈō-və-

: represented excessively

especially : having representatives in a proportion higher than the average

overrepresentation

ˈō-vər-ˌre-pri-ˌzen-ˈtā-shən 

ˈō-və-

-zən-

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Interestingly, non-Hispanic whites are represented in proportion to their numbers in the general population among young doctors and medical students, though a bit overrepresented in proportion to their age bracket. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2010

Girls were hugely overrepresented, accounting for nearly 78% of cases. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 1 June 2022

White and male employees remain overrepresented in positions that pay the highest salaries, offer the best benefits and provide a path to promotions in the Standard & Poor's 100. —Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2022

Klein says that the Republicans, with overrepresented rural counties on their side, can afford to move a lot further from the center than the Democrats can. —Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2021

Even Asian American physicians, a group considered overrepresented in medicine, are much scarcer in orthopedics, making up just 6.7% of these specialists. —Usha Lee Mcfarling, STAT, 13 Dec. 2021

Many resources and networks exist for founders from overrepresented backgrounds that do not exist for those from underrepresented ones. —Nik Milanovic, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021

While Latinos represented the largest portion of victims, Black people were the most overrepresented among victims when compared with the city’s overall population, the data show. —Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2021

Children of Muslim immigrants from former French colonies became overrepresented, and now Muslims are believed to account for 15 to 20 percent of troops, or two to three times the Muslim share of the total French population. —New York Times, 26 June 2021

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Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above