Adjacent Words

Representative definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

REPRESENT'ATIVE, a.
1. Exhibiting a similitude.
They own the legal sacrifices, though representative, to be proper and real.
2. Bearing the character or power of another; as a council representative of the people.
REPRESENT'ATIVE, n.
1. One that exhibits the likeness of another.
A statue of Rumor, whispering an idiot in the ear, who was the representative of credulity.
2. In legislative or other business, an agent, deputy or substitute who supplies the place of another or others, being invested with his or their authority. An attorney is the representative of his client or employer. A member of the house of commons is the representative of his constituents and of the nation. In matters concerning his constituents only, he is supposed to be bound by their instructions, but in the enacting of laws for the nation, he is supposed not to be bound by their instructions, as he acts for the whole nation.
3. In law, one that stands in the place of another as heir, or in the right of succeeding to an estate of inheritance, or to a crown.
4. That by which any thing is exhibited or shown.
This doctrine supposes the perfections of God to be the representatives to us of whatever we perceive in the creatures.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: serving to represent or typify; "representative moviegoers"; "a representative modern play"
2: standing for something else; "the bald eagle is representative of the United States" [ant: nonrepresentative, unsymbolic]
3: being or characteristic of government by representation in which citizens exercise power through elected officers and representatives; "representative government as defined by Abraham Lincoln is government of the people, by the people, for the people" n
1: a person who represents others
2: an advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose; "the meeting was attended by spokespersons for all the major organs of government" [syn: spokesperson, interpreter, representative, voice]
3: a member of the United States House of Representatives [syn: congressman, congresswoman, representative]
4: an item of information that is typical of a class or group; "this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome"; "there is an example on page 10" [syn: example, illustration, instance, representative]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Date: 14th century 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 • representatively adverb • representativeness noun • representativity noun II. noun Date: 1635 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

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 typical of a class or category. 2 containing typical specimens of all or many classes (a representative sample). 3 a consisting of elected deputies etc. b based on the representation of a nation etc. by such deputies (representative government). 4 (foll. by of) serving as a portrayal or symbol of (representative of their attitude to work). 5 that presents or can present ideas to the mind (imagination is a representative faculty). --n. 1 (foll. by of) a sample, specimen, or typical embodiment or analogue of. 2 a the agent of a person or society. b a commercial traveller. 3 a delegate; a substitute. 4 a deputy in a representative assembly. 5 (of art) representational. Derivatives: representatively adv. representativeness n. Etymology: ME f. OF representatif -ive or med.L repraesentativus (as REPRESENT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Representative Rep`re*sent"a*tive (-z?nt`?-t?v), a. [Cf. F. repr?sentatif.] 1. Fitted to represent; exhibiting a similitude. 2. Bearing the character or power of another; acting for another or others; as, a council representative of the people. --Swift. 3. Conducted by persons chosen to represent, or act as deputies for, the people; as, a representative government. 4. (Nat.Hist.) (a) Serving or fitted to present the full characters of the type of a group; typical; as, a representative genus in a family. (b) Similar in general appearance, structure, and habits, but living in different regions; -- said of certain species and varieties. 5. (Metaph.) Giving, or existing as, a transcript of what was originally presentative knowledge; as, representative faculties; representative knowledge. See Presentative, 3 and Represent, 8.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Representative Rep`re*sent"a*tive, n. [Cf. LL. repraesentativus.] 1. One who, or that which, represents (anything); that which exhibits a likeness or similitude. A statute of Rumor, whispering an idiot in the ear, who was the representative of Credulity. --Addison. Difficulty must cumber this doctrine which supposes that the perfections of God are the representatives to us of whatever we perceive in the creatures. --Locke. 2. An agent, deputy, or substitute, who supplies the place of another, or others, being invested with his or their authority. 3. (Law) One who represents, or stands in the place of, another. Note: The executor or administrator is ordinarily held to be the representative of a deceased person, and is sometimes called the legal representative, or the personal representative. The heir is sometimes called the real representative of his deceased ancestor. The heirs and executors or administrators of a deceased person are sometimes compendiously described as his real and personal representatives. --Wharton. Burrill. 4. A member of the lower or popular house in a State legislature, or in the national Congress. [U.S.] 5. (Nat.Hist.) (a) That which presents the full character of the type of a group. (b) A species or variety which, in any region, takes the place of a similar one in another region.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(representatives) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A representative is a person who has been chosen to act or make decisions on behalf of another person or a group of people. ...trade union representatives... N-COUNT 2. A representative is a person whose job is to sell a company's products or services, especially by travelling round and visiting other companies. (FORMAL) She had a stressful job as a sales representative. N-COUNT: usu with supp 3. A representative group consists of a small number of people who have been chosen to make decisions on behalf of a larger group. The new head of state should be chosen by an 87 member representative council. ADJ: ADJ n 4. Someone who is typical of the group to which they belong can be described as representative. He was in no way representative of dog-trainers in general. ADJ: oft ADJ of n • representativeness ...a process designed to ensure the representativeness of the sample interviewed. 5. In the United States, a Representative is a member of the House of Representatives, the less powerful of the two parts of Congress. N-COUNT 6. see also House of Representatives

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Figurative, typical, symbolical. 2. Delegated, acting for others. II. n. Delegate, deputy, substitute, agent, proxy, locum tenens, lieutenant, vicegerent.

Moby Thesaurus

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