representative definition

1. a person who represents others
2. serving to represent or typify
• examples: representative moviegoers
• examples: a representative modern play
3. standing for something else
• examples: the bald eagle is representative of the United States
4. being or characteristic of government by representation in which citizens exercise power through elected officers and representatives
• examples: representative government as defined by Abraham Lincoln is government of the people, by the people, for the people