representative

1 having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind a representative example of what that talented chef can do with even simple ingredients Synonyms archetypal (also archetypical), average, characteristic, normal, regular, typical, standard, trueRelated Words common, commonplace, conventional, customary, everyday, ordinary, usual, wonted, workaday; classic, textbook, vintage; expected, familiar, habitual, predictable, routine, unexceptional, unremarkable; predominant, preponderantNear 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, wildAntonyms aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, irregular, nonrepresentative, nontypical, untypical

2 having the function or meaning of an object or figure that stands for something else a red cross on this map is representative of a hospital or other medical facility Synonyms emblematic (also emblematical), representational, symbolicRelated Words figural, figurative, metaphoric (or metaphorical), tropological; allegoricalNear Antonyms actual, literalAntonyms nonsymbolic

1 a person who acts or does business for another a representative from the car dealership called to ask how we were enjoying the new car Synonyms assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, deputy, envoy, factor, minister, procurator, proxy, rep, agentRelated 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

2 a person sent on a mission to represent another I speak on this matter as a representative of the people of the U.S. Synonyms agent, delegate, emissary, envoy, legate, minister, ambassadorRelated Words ambassadress; attaché, chargé d'affaires, consul, deputy, diplomat, foreign minister, nuncio, procurator, proxy; apostle, evangelist, missionary; deputation, detachment, legation; courier, messenger; mouthpiece, spokesperson

3 one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like this song is a fairly good representative of the other songs on the album Synonyms case, exemplar, exemplification, illustration, instance, prototype, example, sample, specimenRelated Words archetype, classic, locus classicus, paradigm; cross section, microcosm; evidence, indication, manifestation, sign