representative
rep·re·sen·ta·tive/ˌɹɛpɹɪˈzɛnt(ət)ɪv/adjective, noun
representative is spelled R-E-P-R-E-S-E-N-T-A-T-I-V-E, 5 syllables: rep·re·sen·ta·tive. The wrong spelling people search most is reperesentative: about 10 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 769 of all searches for the word. Representative is an adjective meaning “Typical; having the same properties or interest as a larger group”.
How many letters and syllables are in representative?
| Letters | 14: R-E-P-R-E-S-E-N-T-A-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5: rep·re·sen·ta·tive |
| In writing | 37 times per million words; the 2,618th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 2; the most searched, reperesentative, about 10 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell representative?
Representative is spelled R-E-P-R-E-S-E-N-T-A-T-I-V-E. 2 wrong spellings are searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 374 of the searches for representative in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is representative?
Representative appears 37 times per million words in written English, the 2,618th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce representative?
- /ˌɹɛpɹɪˈzɛnt(ət)ɪv/
Representative has 5 syllables, split rep·re·sen·ta·tive in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-representative.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of representative
- more representative comparative
- most representative superlative
- representatives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does representative mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Typical; having the same properties or interest as a larger group.
If you took all the fools out of the legislature, it wouldn't be a representative body anymore.
- 2
Representing, showing a likeness.
Are you sure this paper is representative of your child's writing?
noun
- 1
Someone who represents others as a member of a legislative or governing body.
She served four terms as representative of her local at the national union convention.
- 2
One who speaks for or acts on behalf of another in a particular (especially official) capacity.
I will send a representative to work out the details of the contract.
- 3
An heir.
- 4
USSpecifically, a member of the United States House of Representatives.
All representatives face re-election every two years.
- 5
A company agent who visits potential purchasers; a salesman.
- 6
UKA worker at a holiday resort who escorts guests and leads activities.
- 7
Something representing or standing for another; a symbol, an embodiment.
- 8
A member of a particular class.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate representative?
Wiktionary records 3 abbreviations of representative: Rep., rep, repr..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Representative in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | typique, représentatif , représentant, représentante, délégué, déléguée |
| German | repräsentativ , Repräsentant, Repräsentantin, Vertreter, Vertreterin, Sprecher |
| Portuguese | representativo , representante |
| Spanish | representante, representativo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does representative come from?
From Middle English representative, from Middle French representatif and its etymon Medieval Latin repraesentātīvus. By surface analysis, represent + -ative; See representation. Displaced native Old English spala (“a representative”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).