representative

See also: représentative

English

Etymology

From Old French representatif.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛpɹɪˈzɛntətɪv/
• Hyphenation: rep‧re‧sen‧ta‧tive

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

representative (comparative more representative, superlative most representative)

1. Typical; having the same properties or interest as a larger group.
   • Texas State Senator Carl Parker

     If you took all the fools out of the legislature, it wouldn't be a representative body anymore.

2. Representing, showing a likeness.

   Are you sure this paper is representative of your child's writing?

   the representative faculty of the human imagination

Translations

typical

• Dutch: representatief (nl)
• Finnish: edustava (fi)
• French: typique (fr), représentatif (fr)
• Galician: representativo m
• Georgian: წარმომადგენლობითი (c̣armomadgenlobiti), წარმომადგენელი (c̣armomadgeneli), მახასიათებელი (maxasiatebeli), ამსახველი (amsaxveli), გამომხატველი (gamomxaṭveli), დამახასიათებელი (damaxasiatebeli), რეპრეზენტაციული (reṗrezenṭaciuli), ტიპური (ṭiṗuri)
• German: repräsentativ (de)
• Hebrew: מייצג‎‎ m (meyatség), מייצגת‎‎ f (meyatséget)
• Ido: reprezentanta (io)
• Italian: rappresentativo (it)
• Korean: 전형적인 (jeonhyeongjeogin)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: representativ

  Nynorsk: representativ

• Persian: نماینده‎‎ (fa) (namâtande)
• Polish: reprezentatywny (pl)
• Portuguese: representativo (pt)
• Romanian: reprezentativ (ro)
• Russian: показа́тельный (ru) (pokazátelʹnyj), характе́рный (ru) (xaraktérnyj), типи́чный (ru) (tipíčnyj)
• Spanish: representante (es), representativo
• Swahili: wajumbe (sw)
• Welsh: cyhoeddus (cy)

Noun

representative (plural representatives)

1. One who may speak for another in a particular capacity, especially in negotiation.

   I will send a representative to work out the details of the contract.

2. A member of a legislative or governing body who represents a constituency.

   She served four terms as representative of her local at the national union convention.

3. One that is taken as typical of its class.
4. (US, politics) A member of the US House of Representatives.

   All representatives face re-election every two years.

5. Company agent who visits potential purchasers, salesman.

Synonyms

• rep
• See also Thesaurus:deputy

Derived terms

• legal representative

Related terms

• House of Representatives
• represent
• representative body
• Member of Parliament

Translations

one who speaks for another

• Arabic: مُمَثِّل‎‎ m (mumaṯṯil)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 代表 (zh) (dàibiǎo)

• Czech: zástupce (cs) m
• Dutch: vertegenwoordiger (nl) m
• Finnish: edustaja (fi)
• French: représentant (fr) m, délégué (fr) m, mandataire (fr) m, f
• Galician: representante m, f
• Georgian: წარმომადგენელი (c̣armomadgeneli)
• German: Repräsentant (de) m, Vertreter (de) m, Sprecher (de) m
• Hebrew: נציג‎‎ m (natsíg), נציגה‎‎ f (netsigá)
• Hungarian: képviselő (hu)
• Ido: reprezentanto (io)
• Irish: uiríollaí m
• Italian: rappresentante (it) m, f
• Japanese: 代表者 (daihyōsha)
• Korean: 대표 (ko) (daepyo)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: نوێنه‌ر‎‎ (nwêner)

• Latin: repraesentātīvus m, repraesentātīva f

• Latvian: pārstāvis m
• Lithuanian: atstõvas m, atstõvė f
• Malay: wakil
• Maori: māngai, taraketi
• Persian: نماینده‎‎ (fa) (namâtande)
• Polish: reprezentant (pl) m, przedstawiciel (pl) m, przedstawicielka (pl) f
• Portuguese: representante (pt) m, f
• Romanian: reprezentant (ro) m, reprezentantă (ro) f
• Russian: представи́тель (ru) m (predstavítelʹ), представи́тельница (ru) f (predstavítelʹnica), делега́т (ru) m (delegát), уполномо́ченный (ru) m (upolnomóčennyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: riochdaire m, neach-ionaid m
• Serbo-Croatian: poslanik (sh)
• Spanish: representante (es) m, f
• Swahili: wajumbe (sw)
• Swedish: representant (sv)
• Tagalog: kinatawan (tl)
• Telugu: ప్రతినిధి (te) (pratinidhi)
• Thai: ตัวแทน (dtuua-tɛɛn)
• Welsh: cynrychiolydd (cy) m

representative of a constituency

• Finnish: edustaja (fi)
• French: député (fr) m
• Galician: deputado (gl) m
• Georgian: წარმომადგენელი (c̣armomadgeneli), რწმუნებული (rc̣munebuli), დელეგატი (delegaṭi), დეპუტატი (deṗuṭaṭi)
• German: Abgesandter m, Vertreter (de) m, Delegierter (de) m

• Latin: repraesentātīvus m, repraesentātīva f
• Persian: نماینده‎‎ (fa) (namâtande)
• Romanian: reprezentant (ro) m, reprezentantă (ro) f, deputat (ro) m, deputată (ro) f

one that is taken as typical of its class

• Finnish: edustaja (fi)
• French: représentant (fr)
• German: Repräsentant (de) m
• Italian: rappresentante (it)
• Persian: نماینده‎‎ (fa) (namâtande)

• Polish: przedstawiciel (pl) m, reprezentant (pl) m
• Portuguese: representante (pt)
• Romanian: reprezentant (ro) m, reprezentantă (ro) f
• Spanish: representante (es)

member of the House of Representatives

• Czech: poslanec (cs) m
• Finnish: edustaja (fi)
• French: représentant (fr) m
• Greek: βουλευτής (el) (vouleftís)
• Latin: repraesentātīvus m, repraesentātīva f
• Persian: نماینده‎‎ (fa) (namâtande)

• Romanian: reprezentant (ro) m, reprezentantă (ro) f
• Russian: член пала́ты представи́телей m (člen paláty predstavítelej)
• Serbo-Croatian: poslanik (sh) m
• Swahili: wajumbe (sw)
• Tagalog: kinatawan (tl)

company agent

• Finnish: edustaja (fi)
• German: Vertreter (de) m, Außendienstler m, Aussendienstler (de) m, Gebietsrepräsentant m
• Greek: πλασιέ (el) n (plasié)
• Portuguese: representante (pt)
• Romanian: reprezentant (ro) m, reprezentantă (ro) f, agent (ro) m, agentă (ro) f

• Spanish: representante (es)
• Swedish: representant (sv) c
• Tagalog: kinatawan (tl)
• Thai: ตัวแทน (dtuua-tɛɛn)

Further reading

• "representative" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 266.

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Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

representative

1. definite singular of representativ
2. plural form of representativ

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

representative

1. definite singular of representativ
2. plural form of representativ