Definitions for: Representative


[n] a single item of information that is representative of a type; "this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome"; "there is a good example on page 10"
[n] a member of the United States House of Representatives
[n] a person who represents others
[n] an advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose; "the meeting was attended by spokespersons for all the major organs of government"
[adj] 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"
[adj] standing for something else; "the bald eagle is representative of the United States"
[adj] serving to represent or typify; "representative moviegoers"; "a representative modern play"



Webster (1913) Definition: 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.


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.

Synonyms: allegoric, allegorical, congressman, congresswoman, democratic, emblematic, emblematical, example, illustration, instance, interpreter, spokesperson, symbolic, symbolical, typical, voice

Antonyms: nonrepresentative, unsymbolic

See Also: advocate, advocator, agent, alderman, ambassador, apology, assemblyman, assemblywoman, bagman, case in point, chief of state, commercial traveler, commercial traveller, contact, delegate, emissary, envoy, exception, excuse, exponent, flack, flack catcher, flak, flak catcher, head of state, information, legislator, middleman, mouth, mouthpiece, negotiant, negotiator, personal representative, precedent, proponent, quintessence, rep, resident commissioner, roadman, sample, specimen, spin doctor, spokesman, spokeswoman, traveling salesman, travelling salesman, treater, union representative

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