representative

/ˌrɛprəˈzɛnətɪv/
noun
  1. A person chosen or appointed to act or speak for others, especially in government or business.
    • Each state elects representatives to the national congress.
    • The company sent a representative to the trade fair to promote its products.
    • The student council representative voiced the concerns of the entire class.
  2. A typical example or member of a group.
    • The robin is a common representative of the bird species in this area.
    • The painting is a good representative of the artist's early style.
    • This sample is a representative of the larger population we are studying.
adjective
  1. Typical of a particular group or kind; serving as an example.
    • Her experience is representative of what most new teachers go through.
    • This case is representative of the challenges faced by many small businesses.
    • The survey used a representative sample of 1,000 people from across the country.
  2. Relating to a system of government in which people elect officials to make decisions on their behalf.
    • Representative government allows citizens to vote for their leaders.
    • In a representative system, elected officials are accountable to the people.
    • The United States has a representative democracy, not a direct one.
What does "representative" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean