representative
B1Formal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A person chosen or appointed to act or speak for another or others.
A typical example of a class or group; a person or thing that stands for or symbolizes something larger.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The noun 'representative' primarily denotes a person acting on behalf of others, often in a political or commercial context. The adjective form describes something that is characteristic of a group or serves as a typical example.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK politics, 'Representative' is less common as a formal title; 'MP' (Member of Parliament) is used for the House of Commons. In US politics, 'Representative' is a formal title for a member of the House of Representatives. Spelling differs in adjectival forms: UK 'representative of' vs. US 'representative for' (though both occur).
Connotations
In the US, the capitalized 'Representative' carries strong political authority. In UK, 'sales representative' is a common commercial term.
Frequency
Higher frequency in US English due to its specific political meaning. In UK English, 'agent' or 'MP' may be more frequent in specific domains.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
representative of [something]representative for [someone/organisation/area]representative from [place]act as a representativeVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Representative of the people”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A sales representative will contact you to discuss the offer.
Academic
The study used a representative sample of the population.
Everyday
She's our class representative for the student council.
Technical
The statistical model must be representative of the underlying data distribution.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- Our local representative on the council raised the issue of parking.
- She works as a pharmaceutical representative covering the South East.
American English
- The Representative from Ohio introduced a new bill.
- I spoke to a customer service representative about my refund.
adjective
British English
- The survey aimed to gather data from a representative cross-section of society.
- His views are not representative of the majority.
American English
- We need a sample that's representative for our target demographic.
- The focus group was fairly representative of our users.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She is the class representative.
- He is a sales representative.
- Our representative will meet you at the airport.
- Is this painting representative of his early work?
- The sample was not statistically representative, so the results are questionable.
- The union elected a new representative to negotiate with management.
- The artist's later oeuvre is arguably more representative of her philosophical preoccupations than her earlier, more literal work.
- The study's findings are only valid if the cohort is genuinely representative of the population as a whole.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
REPresentative REpresents. Think: RE-PRESENT-a-tive = someone who presents again on your behalf.
Conceptual Metaphor
A STAND-IN (A representative stands in for a larger group). A MICROCOSM (A representative sample is a small version of the whole).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'представительный' (imposing/stately). 'Representative' as an adjective corresponds to 'представительский' or 'типичный'.
- The political 'Representative' in US Congress is specifically 'член Палаты представителей', not a generic 'представитель'.
- Avoid using 'репрезентативный' (a false friend); use 'репрезентативный' only in very specific statistical/linguistic contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He is representative the company.' Correct: 'He is a representative for/of the company.'
- Incorrect: 'The data is not representative.' (OK but vague). Better: 'The data is not representative of the target population.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'Representative' capitalized?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is more frequently used as a noun (e.g., 'a sales representative'). The adjective form ('a representative sample') is also very common, especially in academic and technical contexts.
'Representative of' is used to mean 'typical of' or 'serving as an example of' (e.g., 'This case is representative of the problem'). 'Representative for' indicates acting on behalf of someone or something (e.g., 'She is the representative for IBM'). British English slightly prefers 'of' in both cases, while American English accepts 'for' for the agency meaning.
Yes, abstract concepts or inanimate objects can be described as 'representative' when they typify or symbolize something larger (e.g., 'This single event is representative of the era's tensions').
A common error is omitting the necessary preposition after the adjective form, saying 'This data is not representative' without completing the thought with 'of the population'. Another is confusing the noun and adjective roles, e.g., 'He is representative' (adjective) vs. 'He is a representative' (noun).
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