represent
Formsrepresents, representing, represented
- 1To speak or act for another person or group, like a lawyer for a client or a politician for an area.
Like a babysitter who decides things for the parents while they are away.
A good lawyer will represent you in court.
She represents her elderly father in all his business dealings.
UsageSay a lawyer represents you in court, or you are represented by a lawyer.
- 2To be a sign or picture that stands for something else.
Like how a heart shape stands for love.
On most maps, a small star represents the capital city.
Doves often represent peace in art and stories.
- 3To be or amount to something, or to make up part of something larger.
Like how a few slices make up the whole pizza.
Children represent a large part of our town's population.
These sales represent half of our profit this year.
UsageOften with numbers: represent half of the total.
Similarconstitute, form, mark
Note
- 4To play for a team or country in a sport or contest.
Like being picked to play on the school team.
She hopes to represent her country at the Olympics.
He represents his school in swimming contests.
UsageSay represent your country, or play for your country.
Note
- 5To show something in a picture, drawing, or other artwork.
Like drawing a stick figure to show a person.
This drawing represents a busy city street.
Artists often represent the sun as a yellow circle.
UsageOften represent something as something, like the sun as a circle.
Similardepict, portray, show, illustrate, render
- 6To describe something in a certain way when you talk or write about it.
Like telling a story in a way that makes the hero look good.
He tried to represent the plan as a great idea.
She represented the situation as far worse than it really was.
UsageSay represent something as good or bad. It is often used when people doubt the account.
Less common meanings
- 7To make something appear in someone's mind so they can understand or feel it.
Our minds can represent places we have never really seen.
It is hard to represent to yourself just how big the ocean is.
UsageOften said as represent something to yourself.
- 8To do something well and make your group or community proud.
Like playing your best so your whole team looks good.
Go out there and represent for your hometown!
She really knows how to represent when it counts.
UsageSay represent for your town, or just represent.
Note
- 9To play a person or character in a play or show.
Like dressing up as a character and acting just like them.
In the dance, the children represent leaves falling from a tree.
Each dancer represents a different animal in the show.
Similarplay
- 10To show or offer something again, sometimes in a changed form.
- 11To come back to a doctor or hospital with a health problem again.
- 12To bet or play so that others believe you hold cards you may not really have.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of represent apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
It came from a Latin word 'repraesento', through Old French 'représenter'.
Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- Represent came from Latin repraesento through Old French représenter. en.wiktionary.org