representational

Definition of representationalnext
as in symbolic
having the function or meaning of an object or figure that stands for something else a computer program with representational icons for different functions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of representational This literally cataclysmic[6] event was preceded by algebraic computations that were never just representational, as might be more the case for geometry, but were from the outset proactive. — Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026 The reflex to regard America’s earlier representational and nationalist traditions as something to be repudiated, rather than reconsidered, is learned — not inevitable. — Frank Porcu, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026 Increasingly, representational politics feels like dusty land that’s been dried up from single-crop farming. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026 Tellingly, not one of these standout garments is plastered with logos, cheeky text, or some representational figure (festive or otherwise). — Jon Roth, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2026 There are very real representational problems with regard to realism, phones, and internet life’s microwave instructions for rendering the literal ironic and the ironic literal. — M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 So what better way to counter decades of representational flattening than with a show whose central characters are young Londoners who share that label but little besides it—and then throw them together in a punk band? — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the show was celebrated for its representational milestones both in front and behind the camera for the entirety of its three season run. — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 The Semiquincentennial Commission was conjured into being by Congress back in 2016, during that long-ago summer when the Democratic Party was convening in Philadelphia and the succession of one form of representational liberalism to another seemed pretty well secure. — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for representational
Adjective
  • This approach also failed to deter Ukraine’s land incursions into Russia and strikes on symbolic Russian targets and Russian strategic infrastructure, let alone compel Kyiv to surrender.
    — Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In these situations, withdrawing into a literal or symbolic dark room—avoiding sources of stress and going to a safe place—can be adaptive in the short term.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • And, in a representative bid of concern, the coaches are cursing in their news conferences.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The pilot should highlight your company’s path to success, either by benefiting a representative target customer type or by showing that delivery can be perfected for efficiency or scale.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Representational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/representational. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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