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underrepresent

verb

To represent something as being lower or smaller than is the case.

OriginEnglish represent ← Middle English under- ← Old English under- →

Scrabble 17

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Meanings

verbunderrepresent (third-person singular simple present underrepresents, present participle underrepresenting, simple past and past participle underrepresented)

present singular third person underrepresents · participle present underrepresenting · participle past underrepresented · past underrepresented · alternative under-represent

To represent something as being lower or smaller than is the case.
To give something insufficient or inadequate representation.
Kessler […] said that he decided to run for alderman because he felt that Triplett underrepresented the ward.
2011, Veronica Szostalo, "Primary conflict", West End Word, volume 40, number 4, February 23 – March 8, page 1

Origin

Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
Proto-Indo-European*h₁entér
Proto-Indo-European*h₂én
Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰí
Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér
Proto-Germanic*under
Proto-West Germanic*undar
Old Englishunder-
Middle Englishunder-
Englishunder-
Englishrepresent
Englishunderrepresent

From under- + represent.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with underrepresent

content event present percent sent went rent saint prevent cent spent extent consent kent segment ent intent frequent absent tent accent cement brent fragment

Cite this entry

APA

underrepresent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underrepresent

MLA

“underrepresent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underrepresent. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underrepresent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underrepresent.

Source: underrepresent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.