Representation

How to spell representation

14 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce representation

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does representation mean?

1. nounThe act of depicting or portraying something, or the image or account that results.
2. nounThe state of having someone act or speak on your behalf in a governing or official body.
3. nounA formal statement of fact made to induce someone to enter an agreement.

Representation in a sentence

• The painting offers a vivid representation of life on the docks.

• Rural voters demanded better representation in parliament.

• The contract relied on the seller's representation about the car's mileage.

• The report gave a fair representation of the staff survey results.

• The union secured representation for part-time workers on the committee.

• A false representation on the insurance form can void the policy.

Where does representation come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin repraesentatio, a noun built on the verb repraesentare, meaning 'to make present again' or 'to bring before someone'. That verb combined the prefix re-, here lending an intensive or repeating force, with praesentare 'to present or set before the eyes', itself rooted in praesens 'being at hand'. The literal idea was of making something vividly present, of showing or standing in for it, and from that grew both the artistic sense (a picture that brings a subject before us) and the political and legal senses (one person standing in for many, or a statement set before a court). English took the word in during the late 1300s through Old French representacion, and the steady -sent- spine and the -ation ending mirror its close relatives 'present', 'presentation', and 'represent'. Remembering that hidden 'present' inside the word is the surest way to keep all the letters in order.

How the word is built

• re- (again, intensive)
• present (to set before, from Latin praesentare 'to place before')
• -ation (noun of action)