1. (noun)representative a person who represents others
2. (noun)spokesperson, interpreter, representative, voice an advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose "the meeting was attended by spokespersons for all the major organs of government"
3. (noun)congressman, congresswoman, representative a member of the United States House of Representatives
4. (noun)example, illustration, instance, representative an item of information that is typical of a class or group "this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome"; "there is an example on page 10"
5. (adj)representative serving to represent or typify "representative moviegoers"; "a representative modern play"
6. (adj)representative standing for something else "the bald eagle is representative of the United States"
7. (adj)representative being or characteristic of government by representation in which citizens exercisepower through elected officers and representatives "representative government as defined by Abraham Lincoln is government of the people, by the people, for the people"
Definition of 'representative'
