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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Representative: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：delegate (representative)

representative 🔊
/ˌreprɪˈzentətɪv/
n.
a person who is chosen to speak or act for a group of people.
Representative as a delegate speaking in a formal business meeting setting.
delegate 🔊
➕
/ˈdelɪɡət/
n.
A person elected or appointed to speak, vote, or act on behalf of a larger group of people.
📁 Category：Countries & Government 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation
From Latin 're-' (again) + 'praesentare' (to present), meaning 'to present again'. The suffix '-ative' forms adjectives/nouns.
💡 Mnemonic
Think 'REPresent again'. A REPresentative RE-Presents the views of their group.
📖 Example
Our class elected Lisa as the representative to discuss the picnic plan with the teachers. 🔊 Our class elected Lisa as the delegate to discuss the picnic plan with the teachers.
🔗 Collocations
elected representative – A representative chosen by voting.
sales representative – A person who represents a company to sell its products.
legal representative – A person authorized to act on another's behalf in legal matters.
🔄 Synonyms
delegate (n.) – A person sent to represent others, often at a conference or meeting.
spokesperson (n.) – A person who speaks on behalf of a group.
agent (n.) – A person who acts on behalf of another person or organization.
🚫 Antonyms
individual (n.) – A single person considered separately from a group.
constituent (n.) – A member of a group represented by someone else.
🌱 Derivatives
represent (v.) – To act or speak officially for someone or something.
📖 Cultural Story
Derived from Latin 'representare', entering English via Old French. Initially used to describe presenting something again, as in art or drama. Its modern political and legal sense of 'acting on behalf of others' solidified in the 17th century, reflecting the rise of democratic governance.

Meaning 2：typical example (representative)

representative 🔊
/ˌreprɪˈzentətɪv/
n.
a single example that shows what the whole group is like.
Representative as a typical example shown by a scientist collecting a plant specimen.
typical example 🔊
➕
/ˈtɪpɪkl ɪɡˈzɑːmpl/
n.
A single item, person, or part that is considered typical of its class or group and demonstrates its characteristics.
📁 Category：Botany Research 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example
The botanist collected this leaf as a representative of the newly discovered plant species. 🔊 The botanist collected this leaf as a typical example of the newly discovered plant species.
🔗 Collocations
representative sample – A small quantity of something that accurately reflects the larger whole.
representative survey – A study whose participants accurately reflect the broader population.
representative collection – A set of items chosen to show the full range of a category.
🔄 Synonyms
example (n.) – A thing characteristic of its kind or illustrating a general rule.
specimen (n.) – An individual animal, plant, or object used as an example for scientific study.
sample (n.) – A small part or quantity intended to show what the whole is like.
🚫 Antonyms
anomaly (n.) – Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.
exception (n.) – A person or thing that is excluded from a general statement or rule.
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