Representative

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Representative \Rep`re*sent"a*tive\, n. [Cf. LL.
     repraesentativus.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. One who, or that which, represents (anything); that which
        exhibits a likeness or similitude.
        [1913 Webster]


  
              A statute of Rumor, whispering an idiot in the ear,
              who was the representative of Credulity. --Addison.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. An agent, deputy, or substitute, who supplies the place of
        another, or others, being invested with his or their
        authority.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Law) One who represents, or stands in the place of,
        another.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A member of the lower or popular house in a State
        legislature, or in the national Congress. [U.S.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Representative \Rep`re*sent"a*tive\ (-z?nt`?-t?v), a. [Cf. F.
     repr?sentatif.]
     1. Fitted to represent; exhibiting a similitude.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Bearing the character or power of another; acting for
        another or others; as, a council representative of the
        people. --Swift.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Conducted by persons chosen to represent, or act as
        deputies for, the people; as, a representative government.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  representative
       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}]
       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},
           {voice}]
       3: a member of the United States House of Representatives [syn:
           {congressman}, {congresswoman}]
       4: an item of information that is representative of a type;
          "this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome";
          "there is an example on page 10" [syn: {example}, {illustration},
           {instance}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  270 Moby Thesaurus words for "representative":
     MP, Member of Congress, Member of Parliament, acting, advocate,
     agent, alderman, alter ego, alternate, alternative, ambassador,
     amicus curiae, analogy, antetype, antitype, apish, archetypal,
     archetype, assemblyman, attorney, backup, backup man, badge,
     banner, biotype, case, case history, case in point, catchpole,
     champion, change, changeling, character, characteristic, chosen,
     chosen freeholder, city father, classic, classic example,
     classical, commissioner, comparison, congressman, congresswoman,
     connotative, copy, councilman, counterfeit, criterion,
     cross section, delegate, delineative, delineatory, democratic,
     demonstration, demonstrative, denominative, denotative, depictive,
     deputative, deputy, descriptive, designative, device, diagnostic,
     differentia, double, dummy, earmark, echoic, elected, emblem,
     emblematic, embodiment, embodying, emissary, envoy, epitome, equal,
     equivalent, ersatz, evidential, evocative, example, exchange,
     executive officer, exemplar, exemplary, exemplification,
     exhibitive, explanation, exponent, expositive, expressive,
     faithful, fake, figural, figurative, figurehead, fill-in,
     floor leader, fugleman, fugler, genotype, ghost, ghostwriter,
     graphic, hallmark, ideal, identifying, ideographic, idiosyncrasy,
     idiosyncratic, illustration, illustrational, illustrative, image,
     imitatee, imitation, imitative, implicative, incarnating, index,
     indicant, indicating, indicative, indicator, indicatory,
     individual, insignia, instance, keynote, lawgiver, lawmaker, lead,
     legate, legislator, lieutenant, lifelike, limning, locum,
     locum tenens, majority leader, makeshift, mark, meaningful,
     measure, metaphor, metaphorical, metonymy, mimetic, mimish,
     minority leader, mirror, missionary, model, naming, naturalistic,
     next best thing, note, object lesson, onomatopoeic, original,
     paradigm, paradigmatic, paranymph, party whip, pathognomonic,
     pattern, peculiar, peculiarity, personifying, personnel, phony,
     pictographic, pictorial, picture, pinch hitter, pleader,
     portraying, precedent, precedential, procurator, property,
     prototypal, prototype, proxy, quintessential, realistic,
     relevant instance, relief, rep, replacement, representation,
     representational, representing, reserves, ringer, rule, sample,
     sampling, seal, second in command, second string, secondary,
     semantic, semiotic, senator, sigil, sign, signal, signalizing,
     signature, significant, significative, signifying, simulative,
     solon, spares, specimen, spokesman, spokeswoman, stamp, stand-in,
     standard, state senator, sub, substituent, substitute,
     substitution, succedaneum, suggestive, superseder, supplanter,
     sure sign, surrogate, symbol, symbolic, symbolistic, symbolizing,
     symbological, symptom, symptomatic, symptomatologic, synecdoche,
     telltale sign, third string, token, trait, true to life, type,
     type species, type specimen, typical, typical example,
     typification, typifying, understudy, urtext, utility man,
     utility player, vicar, vicar general, vice, vice-president,
     vice-regent, vicegerent, vivid, well-drawn, whip
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  REPRESENTATIVE, n.  In national politics, a member of the Lower House
  in this world, and without discernible hope of promotion in the next.