Meanings
represent1
verbrepresent (third-person singular simple present represents, present participle representing, simple past and past participle represented)
present singular third person represents · participle present representing · participle past represented · past represented · alternative repræsent
- transitiveTo stand or act in the place of; to perform the duties, exercise the rights, or otherwise act on behalf of.
An attorney's job is to represent his client in court
2 more examples
He sent his agent to represent himself at the meeting.
As he was too ill to accept the award, his brother represented him at the ceremony.
- transitivegovernmentTo act as a representative of (a country, state, district etc.).
They chose a member of Congress to represent their district.
- transitiveTo portray to another using language; to show; to give one's own impressions and judgement of.
He represented that he was investigating for the police department.
- transitiveTo give an account of; to describe.
- transitiveTo serve as a sign or symbol of.
A dove is often used to represent peace.
2 more examples
The @ symbol represents the online world.
A person climbs a mountain, not only "because it is there," but also because it represents a fundamental and personal challenge.
1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 150 - transitiveTo bring a certain sensation of into the mind; to cause to be known, felt, or apprehended; to present.
- transitiveTo form or image again in consciousness, as an object of cognition or apprehension (something presentative, which was originally apprehended by direct presentation).
- transitiveTo constitute, to make up, to be an example of.
Rounded stone and glass objects with fine radiating scratches on one surface represent the slickstones that were used in garment-making and laundry, to smooth the cloth and to press seams and pleats.
2020 January 31, Penelope Walton Rogers, “Textile networks in Viking-age towns of Britain and Ireland”, in Stephen P. Ashby, Søren Sindbæk, editors, Crafts and Social Networks in Viking Towns, →ISBN, page 101Synonyms: form
- transitivehobbiesTo participate as a team member.
- transitivecard gamesTo play as if holding (a set of cards); to play as if having made (a hand).
Richard was holding the nuts, but he was trying to represent two-pair to get the other players to bet.
- intransitiveAfrican-American VernacularTo constitute a good example or symbol of a group of people; to acquit oneself well.
I'm representing for the gangsters all across the world. Still hitting them corners in them low lows girl.
1999, Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg, Still D.R.E.
represent2
verbrepresent (third-person singular simple present represents, present participle representing, simple past and past participle represented)
present singular third person represents · participle present representing · participle past represented · past represented · alternative re-present
- broadlyTo present again, possibly in an altered form.
video game represented as live-action television
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo portray by mimicry or acting; to act the part or character of.
Similar
verbTo constitute, to make up, to be an example of.
Similar
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
verbexpress indirectly by an image, form, or model; be a symbol
verbto establish a mapping (of mathematical elements or sets)
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
represent · verb
- Latinrepraesentō
- Old Frenchreprésenter
- Englishrepresent
From Old French représenter, from Latin repraesentō. Displaced native Old English spelian (“to represent”).
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →represent · verb
- Proto-Italic*wre-
- Latinre-
- Old Frenchre-
- Middle Englishre-
- Englishre-
- Proto-Indo-European*per-
- Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
- Proto-Italic*prai
- Proto-Italic*prai-
- Latinprae-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁es-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁ésti
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰúHt
- Proto-Italic*ezom~*som
- Old Latinesum
- Latinsum
- Latinpraesum
- Latinpraesens
- Latinpraesentāre
- Old Frenchpresenter
- Middle Englishpresenten
- Englishpresent
- Englishrepresent
Translations
Ancient Greek ἀποφαίνω, εἰκάζω
- ἀποφαίνω (apophaínō)to exhibit to another mind in language
- εἰκάζω (eikázō)to portray by pictorial or plastic art
Arabic مَثَّلَ
- مَثَّلَ (maṯṯala)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Bulgarian представям, представям
- представям (predstavjam)to present again or anew
- представям (predstavjam)to portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- представям (predstavjam)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- изобразявам (izobrazjavam)to exhibit to another mind in language
- описвам (opisvam)to give an account of; to describe
- символизирам (simvoliziram)to serve as a sign or symbol of
- изобразявам (izobrazjavam)to portray by pictorial or plastic art
Catalan representar, representar
- representarto present again or anew
- representarto portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- representarto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- representarto serve as a sign or symbol of
- representarto form or image again in consciousness, as an object of cognition or apprehension
- representarto portray by pictorial or plastic art
Chinese Mandarin 代表
- 代表 (dàibiǎo)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Czech reprezentovat, zastupovat
- reprezentovatto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- zastupovatto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Danish repræsentere
- repræsentereto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Dutch voorstellen, voorstellen
- voorstellento present again or anew
- voorstellento portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- vertegenwoordigento stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- representerento stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- voorstellento serve as a sign or symbol of
Esperanto reprezenti, simboli
- reprezentito stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- simbolito serve as a sign or symbol of
- prezentito portray by pictorial or plastic art
Finnish kuvata, edustaa
- kuvatato portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- edustaato stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- edustaato serve as a sign or symbol of
- kuvatato portray by pictorial or plastic art
French représenter, jouer
- représenterto present again or anew
- jouerto portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- représenterto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- représenterto portray by pictorial or plastic art
German darstellen, vertreten
- darstellento portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- vertretento stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- repräsentierento stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- darstellento serve as a sign or symbol of
- darstellento portray by pictorial or plastic art
Greek αναπαριστάνω, εκπροσωπώ
- αναπαριστάνω (anaparistáno)to portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- εκπροσωπώ (ekprosopó)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- αντιπροσωπεύω (antiprosopévo)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- αναπαριστάνω (anaparistáno)to give an account of; to describe
- αντιπροσωπεύω (antiprosopévo)to serve as a sign or symbol of
- αναπαριστάνω (anaparistáno)to portray by pictorial or plastic art
- ἐϊκάσδω (eïkásdō)to portray by pictorial or plastic art
Hungarian játszik, eljátszik
- játszikto portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- eljátszikto portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- képviselto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- feltüntetto exhibit to another mind in language
- lefestto exhibit to another mind in language
- beállítto exhibit to another mind in language
- előadto give an account of; to describe
- beszámolto give an account of; to describe
- jelölto serve as a sign or symbol of
- jelentto serve as a sign or symbol of
- ábrázolto portray by pictorial or plastic art
- megjelenítto portray by pictorial or plastic art
Irish cuir in iúl
- cuir in iúlto exhibit to another mind in language
Italian ripresentare, rappresentare
- ripresentareto present again or anew
- rappresentareto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- rappresentareto serve as a sign or symbol of
- rappresentareto form or image again in consciousness, as an object of cognition or apprehension
- rappresentareto portray by pictorial or plastic art
Japanese 代表する
- 代表する (daihyō suru)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Korean 대표하다
- 대표하다 (daepyohada)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Latvian pārstāvēt
- pārstāvētto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Lithuanian pavaizduoti, išreikšti
- pavaizduotito portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- išreikštito portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- vaizduotito portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- reprezentuotito stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- atstovautito stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- išreikštito exhibit to another mind in language
- perteiktito exhibit to another mind in language
- išreikštito give an account of; to describe
- simbolizuotito serve as a sign or symbol of
- reprezentuotito serve as a sign or symbol of
- pavaizduotito portray by pictorial or plastic art
- vaizduotito portray by pictorial or plastic art
Māori kanohi kitea, whakakanohi
- kanohi kiteato present again or anew
- whakakanohito stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Norwegian representere
- representereto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Persian نشان دادن
- نشان دادن (nešân dâdan)to portray by pictorial or plastic art
Polish reprezentować, reprezentować
- reprezentowaćto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- reprezentowaćto serve as a sign or symbol of
Portuguese reapresentar, representar
- reapresentarto present again or anew
- representarto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- representarto serve as a sign or symbol of
- representarto portray by pictorial or plastic art
Romanian reprezenta, reprezenta
- reprezentato present again or anew
- reprezentato stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- reprezentato serve as a sign or symbol of
- reprezentato form or image again in consciousness, as an object of cognition or apprehension
- reprezentato portray by pictorial or plastic art
Russian представля́ть
- представля́ть (predstavljátʹ)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Scottish Gaelic riochdaich, riochdaich
- riochdaichto portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- riochdaichto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- riochdaichto serve as a sign or symbol of
- riochdaichto portray by pictorial or plastic art
Spanish representar, representar
- representarto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- representarto serve as a sign or symbol of
Swahili wakilisha, wakilisha
- wakilishato portray by mimicry or action of any kind
- wakilishato stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- wakilishato serve as a sign or symbol of
- wakilishato portray by pictorial or plastic art
Swedish representera
- representerato stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Ukrainian представля́ти, зображувати
- представля́ти (predstavljáty)to stand in the place of, act on behalf of
- зображувати (zobražuvaty)to serve as a sign or symbol of
Vietnamese đại diện
- đại diệnto stand in the place of, act on behalf of
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
represent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/represent
MLA
“represent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/represent. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “represent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/represent.
Source: represent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.