represent

/ɹˌɛpɹɪzˈɛnt/ · 3 syllables

Meaning

verb

take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to
“Because of the sound changes in the course of history, an `h' in Greek stands for an `s' in Latin”
express indirectly by an image, form, or model; be a symbol
“What does the Statue of Liberty symbolize?”
be representative or typical for
“This period is represented by Beethoven”
be a delegate or spokesperson for; represent somebody's interest or be a proxy or substitute for, as of politicians and office holders representing their constituents, or of a tenant representing other tenants in a housing dispute
“I represent the silent majority”
serve as a means of expressing something
“The flower represents a young girl”
be characteristic of
“This compositional style is exemplified by this fugue”
form or compose
“This money is my only income”
be the defense counsel for someone in a trial
“Ms. Smith will represent the defendant”
create an image or likeness of
“The painter represented his wife as a young girl”
play a role or part
“Gielgud played Hamlet”
perform (a play), especially on a stage
“we are going to stage `Othello'”
describe or present, usually with respect to a particular quality
“He represented this book as an example of the Russian 19th century novel”

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