representative
representative — noun
1. someone you choose to speak and take action on your behalf or for your group or
someone you choose to speak and take action on your behalf or for your group or company
Roya was chosen as the student representative for the school's planning committee.
representative + for [organization/group]
The company sent a sales representative to visit potential clients in Southeast Asia.
sales representative — common compound noun
Union representatives met with management to discuss better working conditions.
The ambassador served as the government's representative at the peace talks.
- delegate
often used for political or conference contexts; implies being sent with a specific task
- agent
broader legal meaning; can act with authority on someone's behalf
- spokesperson
focuses on speaking publicly for a group, not necessarily making decisions
- constituent
the person or group that the representative acts for
文法句型
representative + of [group/person]
representative + for [company/organization]
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'of' (representative of a group) or 'for' (representative for a company). The compound 'sales representative' is often shortened to 'rep' in informal business contexts.
常見錯誤
2. a politician who serves in Congress's lower chamber after being elected by voter
a politician who serves in Congress's lower chamber after being elected by voters in their home district
Representative Christopher Williams from Ohio introduced a new bill on healthcare reform.
title: Representative [Name] + from [state]
Voters in the district will elect a new Representative in next month's election.
capitalized when used as a formal title
The Representative from California spoke about climate policy during the committee hearing.
Each state sends a different number of Representatives to Congress based on its population.
- congressperson
gender-neutral alternative; more general term for any member of Congress
- member of Congress
formal; can also refer to Senators, so context matters
文法句型
the Representative + from [state/district]
Representative [Name]
用法筆記
When used as a formal title before a name, 'Representative' is capitalized. The US House of Representatives has 435 voting members, each representing a congressional district for a two-year term.
常見錯誤
3. a person, thing, or example that shows what a larger group or category is like
a person, thing, or example that shows what a larger group or category is like
The giant panda is a well-known representative of endangered mountain species.
representative + of [group] — showing what the group is like
This painting is a fine representative of the artist's early abstract style.
Devika is a representative of the new generation of software engineers in Bangalore.
The fossil was identified as a representative of a dinosaur species from the late Cretaceous.
- exception
something that does not follow the typical pattern
文法句型
representative + of [group/class]
用法筆記
This sense is often used with 'of' to connect the example to the group it represents. The noun can refer to either a person or a thing.
representative — adjective
1. showing the same features or qualities that most members of a certain category o
showing the same features or qualities that most members of a certain category or type share
The researchers chose a representative sample of 800 people from different age groups and backgrounds.
representative sample — common collocation in research
Adaeze's opinion is fairly representative of what most students in the department think.
This neighborhood is representative of many middle-class communities across the Midwest.
The museum display shows a representative collection of pottery from the Ming dynasty.
- typical
more common in everyday speech; 'representative' implies the example was chosen deliberately
- characteristic
focuses on specific features that define the group
- unrepresentative
not showing the typical qualities of the group
- atypical
not fitting the usual pattern
文法句型
representative + of [group]
representative sample
representative group
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'of' to link to the larger group. The phrase 'representative sample' is very common in statistics and survey research — it means the sample accurately reflects the whole population.
常見錯誤
2. describing a political system in which citizens vote for people to make decision
describing a political system in which citizens vote for people to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf
Taiwan has a representative democracy where citizens vote for their leaders every four years.
representative democracy — most common collocation
The country moved from a military dictatorship toward a representative form of government.
In a representative system, elected officials are expected to listen to the people they serve.
Many modern nations combine representative government with protections for individual rights.
- democratic
broader; includes direct democracy; 'representative' specifically means decisions are made by elected officials
- authoritarian
a system where power is held by one leader or a small group, not elected by citizens
- autocratic
ruled by one person with unlimited power
文法句型
representative government
representative democracy
representative system
用法筆記
This sense is used only before nouns ('representative government', 'representative democracy'). It is non-gradable — a system either is representative or it is not. Contrasts with 'direct democracy', where citizens vote on every issue themselves.