Representations

How to spell representations

15 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce representations

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does representations mean?

1. nounImages, portrayals, or descriptions that stand for or depict something.
2. nounFormal statements or complaints made to an authority in order to influence a decision.

Representations in a sentence

• The gallery displayed several representations of the old harbour.

• Residents made strong representations to the council about the new car park.

• The report criticised the stereotyped representations of women in advertising.

• The lawyer submitted written representations on behalf of her client.

Where does representations come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb repraesentare, which meant 'to make present', 'to show', or 'to bring before the eyes', built from the prefix re- (used here as an intensifier) and praesentare 'to present or place before someone'. The Latin noun repraesentatio described the act of displaying or exhibiting something. English took the word through Old French representacion in the 1300s, originally with the sense of an image or likeness that stands in for the thing itself. From there the meaning branched out: a picture could be a representation of a scene, a delegate could act as a representation of a group, and a formal statement could be a representation made to an authority. The spelling preserves the full Latin chain re + present + ation, which is why it stays long and regular; the trap for adults is the unstressed middle syllables, where the schwa sounds tempt writers to drop or swap letters.

How the word is built

• re- (again, intensive)
• present (from Latin praesentare: to place before, show)
• -ation (noun of action)
• -s (plural)