WordGarden.iorepresent
A2Pronunciation
UK
US
- /ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt/
Meanings
Verb
to act or speak on behalf of a person, group, or organization
to portray or show someone or something in art, writing, film, or another medium
to stand for, symbolize, or mean something
More meaningsFewer meanings
to make up, amount to, or count as part of something larger
to encode, model, or describe something in a formal or digital form
Beyond the definition
To represent something is to stand for it or show it in some way. A flag can represent a country, and a map represents the layout of a city even though it is not the city itself. The word can also mean to speak or act for other people. If you represent your school in a debate, you speak on its behalf. It is also common in law, where a lawyer represents a client in court. In art, film, and writing, it can mean to portray a person, place, or idea.
The word "represent" has several related meanings, all centered on the idea of standing for, showing, or acting for something else. At its core, to represent can mean to symbolize or be a sign of something. For example, a dove may represent peace, and a lion may represent courage.
It can also mean to depict or portray something. An artist may represent a landscape in a painting, and a novel may represent life in a small town. This does not always have to be fully literal. Sometimes the word is used when something presents a certain picture or view, as in "The film represents a bleak view of the future."
Beyond symbolism and depiction, "represent" also means to act on behalf of someone or something. A politician represents the people who elected them, and a lawyer represents a client in court. In this sense, the word suggests both authority and responsibility.
Finally, "represent" can mean to amount to, correspond to, or serve as an example of something. You might say, "This data represents the average rainfall for the region," meaning it shows that average. You might also say, "She represents everything I admire in a teacher," meaning she is a clear example of those qualities. Whether the word is about symbols, pictures, speaking for others, or examples, represent is fundamentally about standing in for something else or expressing what it means.
Examples
- 1
Data chart
In this chart, the red line represents average monthly rainfall.
- 2
School competition
She was proud to represent her school in the national debate competition.
- 3
Team concerns
A good manager should represent the concerns of the whole team.
- 4
Cultural symbols
In many cultures, white flowers represent peace.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Amount
The final bill represents almost a week of my salary.
- Patternrepresent + amount/percentage
be equal to that amount
- 6
Legal services
A lawyer will represent him in court next month.
- 7
Description
The report represented the policy as a complete success.
- Patternrepresent someone/something as + description
describe or show them in that way
- 8
Improvement
These results represent a major improvement over last year.
See also
Similar
- speak for
- act for
Shades of meaning
- advocate for
- defend
Contrast
- act independently
Used with (collocations)
- represent a client
- represent a constituency
- represent someone's interests
- be represented by
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- representverb
Forms
- representedpast tenseverb
- representsverb
- representing-ing formverb