represent
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to serve to express, designate, stand for, or denote, as a word, symbol, or the like does; symbolize.
In this painting the cat represents evil and the bird, good.
- Synonyms:
- exemplify
-
to express or designate by some term, character, symbol, or the like.
to represent musical sounds by notes.
-
to stand or act in the place of, as a substitute, proxy, or agent does.
He represents the company in Boston.
-
to speak and act for by delegated authority.
to represent one's government in a foreign country.
-
to act for or in behalf of (a constituency, state, etc.) by deputed right in exercising a voice in legislation or government.
He represents Chicago's third Congressional district.
-
to portray or depict; present the likeness of, as a picture does.
The painting represents him as a man 22 years old.
- Synonyms:
- delineate
-
to present or picture to the mind.
-
to present in words; set forth; describe; state.
-
to set forth or describe as having a particular character (usually followed by as, to be, etc.).
The article represented the dictator as a benevolent despot.
-
to set forth clearly or earnestly with a view to influencing opinion or action or making protest.
-
to present, produce, or perform, as on a stage.
-
to impersonate, as in acting.
- Synonyms:
- portray
-
to serve as an example or specimen of; exemplify.
a genus represented by two species.
-
to be the equivalent of; correspond to.
The llama of the New World represents the camel of the Old World.
verb (used without object)
-
to protest; make representations against.
-
Slang. to use or display a secret handshake, sign, gesture, etc., for purposes of identification.
The gang members always represent when they see one another.
verb
-
to stand as an equivalent of; correspond to
our tent represents home to us when we go camping
-
to act as a substitute or proxy (for)
-
to act as or be the authorized delegate or agent for (a person, country, etc)
an MP represents his constituency
-
to serve or use as a means of expressing
letters represent the sounds of speech
-
to exhibit the characteristics of; exemplify; typify
romanticism in music is represented by Beethoven
-
to present an image of through the medium of a picture or sculpture; portray
-
to bring clearly before the mind
-
to set forth in words; state or explain
-
to describe as having a specified character or quality; make out to be
he represented her as a saint
-
to act out the part of on stage; portray
-
to perform or produce (a play); stage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
representabilitynoun
-
prerepresentverb (used with object)
-
nonrepresentableadjective
-
representableadjective
-
unrepresentableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
representsimple
-
representssimple
-
have representedperfect
-
has representedperfect
-
am representingprogressive
-
are representingprogressive
-
is representingprogressive
-
have been representingperfect progressive
-
has been representingperfect progressive
Past
-
representedsimple
-
had representedperfect
-
was representingprogressive
-
were representingprogressive
-
had been representingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of represent
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English representen, from Middle French representer, from Latin repraesentāre “to bring about immediately, make present,” equivalent to re- re- ( def. ) + praesentāre “to present 2 ( def. ) ”
Explanation
Use the word represent when something stands in for something else — whether it's your congressman representing your interests in Washington or the thimble that represents you as it makes its way around the Monopoly board. We live in a democracy in which we elect a few people to represent the wishes and desires of the rest of us. Their job is literally to "re-present" the voters' demands in Congress. That's why we call them our "representatives." In the world of art, however, to represent something can mean to express its essence by means of something different. For example a ball of string can represent, or symbolize, a cat.
Vocabulary lists containing represent
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which is helping represent Prabhakar, argues that public colleges may establish curriculum requirements but cannot punish professors merely because administrators dislike ideas expressed in relevant course material.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
The benefit was modest and did not lead to weight loss, but the researchers said it could still represent progress toward better heart health.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
That would represent about 5% of the total operating profit Wall Street expects for that year, a decent but not transformative amount.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Spain's Ceuta and Melilla enclaves, which are located in North Africa, represent the European Union's only land border with Africa.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Microbeats are shorter than macrobeats and represent the equal division of the macrobeat.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
The Community Associations Institute, which represents HOAs, said many associations offer payment plans and work directly with homeowners facing financial hardship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
The move also represents good timing on a personal level.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
A charge cycle represents one complete use of a battery, from charging to discharging and back again.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area, said she is going to raise the award money for anyone with information about the vandalism to $20,000 during Tuesday’s board meeting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
He represents Kendra’s death as a tragic blow, and Dumbledore’s decision to give up his expedition as an act of noble self-sacrifice.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
In other words, an increasing rate of warming is consistent with the range of behavior represented in current climate modeling.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
A Substack post in April described FLAG, represented by Rodenburg and Adamopoulos, delivering founding documents to schools in Mississippi.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Cordeiro, who represented the world governing body on the White House taskforce for the 2026 World Cup, is the first senior figure at Fifa to resign over the plans.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
“Spirit’s exit represented one of the most significant strategic opportunities JetBlue has seen in many years.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
In 4/4 or 2/4 time, for example, the macrobeat is represented by quarter notes, while in 3/4 time it is represented by the dotted half.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Marc Schneider, a New York real-estate lawyer representing community associations, recently worked with a Long Island HOA whose annual insurance premium jumped from $60,000 to $360,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
"I had the privilege of representing Vinny for more than 30 years, long before 'The Sopranos' made him a household name," Attermann said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
They said that Connor was a "very talented young man winning Mid Ulster and Ulster Championships and representing the club in the Irish National Championships in Dublin".
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
“Everybody’s very excited about it,” Mark McCloskey, a lawyer representing Jan. 6 defendants, told the Washington Post.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
In preparing litigation on behalf of the children we were representing, it was clear that these shocking and senseless crimes couldn’t be evaluated honestly without understanding the lives these children had been forced to endure.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
