representative
/ˌreprɪˈzentətɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌreprɪˈzentətɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌre-pri-ˈzen-tə-tiv/ (ame, mw) · /ˌrep.rɪˈzen.tə.tɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌrep.rɪˈzen.t̬ə.t̬ɪv/ (ame, ipa)
representative — 名詞
- representativesingular
- representativesplural
1. someone you choose to speak and take action on your behalf or for your group or
代表
為他人或團體發言、行事的人
someone you choose to speak and take action on your behalf or for your group or company
Roya was chosen as the student representative for the school's planning committee.
Roya 被選為學生代表，加入學校的規劃委員會。
representative + for [organization/group]
The company sent a sales representative to visit potential clients in Southeast Asia.
這家公司派了一名業務代表前往東南亞拜訪潛在客戶。
sales representative — common compound noun
Union representatives met with management to discuss better working conditions.
工會代表與管理層會面，討論更好的工作條件。
The ambassador served as the government's representative at the peace talks.
大使以政府代表身份出席了和平談判。
- delegate
often used for political or conference contexts; implies being sent with a specific task
- agent
broader legal meaning; can act with authority on someone's behalf
- spokesperson
focuses on speaking publicly for a group, not necessarily making decisions
- constituent
the person or group that the representative acts for
文法句型
representative + of [group/person]
representative + for [company/organization]
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'of' (representative of a group) or 'for' (representative for a company). The compound 'sales representative' is often shortened to 'rep' in informal business contexts.
常見錯誤
2. a politician who serves in Congress's lower chamber after being elected by voter
眾議員
美國眾議院民選議員
a politician who serves in Congress's lower chamber after being elected by voters in their home district
Representative Christopher Williams from Ohio introduced a new bill on healthcare reform.
來自俄亥俄州的眾議員 Christopher Williams 提出了一項新的醫療改革法案。
title: Representative [Name] + from [state]
Voters in the district will elect a new Representative in next month's election.
該選區的選民將在下個月的選舉中選出一位新的眾議員。
capitalized when used as a formal title
The Representative from California spoke about climate policy during the committee hearing.
來自加州的眾議員在委員會聽證會上談到了氣候政策。
Each state sends a different number of Representatives to Congress based on its population.
各州根據人口多寡，選出不同數量的眾議員進入國會。
- congressperson
gender-neutral alternative; more general term for any member of Congress
- member of Congress
formal; can also refer to Senators, so context matters
文法句型
the Representative + from [state/district]
Representative [Name]
用法筆記
When used as a formal title before a name, 'Representative' is capitalized. The US House of Representatives has 435 voting members, each representing a congressional district for a two-year term.
常見錯誤
3. a person, thing, or example that shows what a larger group or category is like
典型；代表
能反映某群體特徵的人事物
a person, thing, or example that shows what a larger group or category is like
The giant panda is a well-known representative of endangered mountain species.
大貓熊是瀕危山地物種中一個廣為人知的代表。
representative + of [group] — showing what the group is like
This painting is a fine representative of the artist's early abstract style.
這幅畫是這位藝術家早期抽象風格的絕佳代表。
Devika is a representative of the new generation of software engineers in Bangalore.
Devika 是班加羅爾新一代軟體工程師的代表人物。
The fossil was identified as a representative of a dinosaur species from the late Cretaceous.
這塊化石被鑑定為白堊紀晚期某種恐龍的代表。
- exception
something that does not follow the typical pattern
文法句型
representative + of [group/class]
用法筆記
This sense is often used with 'of' to connect the example to the group it represents. The noun can refer to either a person or a thing.
representative — 形容詞
- representativepositive
- more representativecomparative
- most representativesuperlative
1. showing the same features or qualities that most members of a certain category o
典型的
足以代表整體特徵的
showing the same features or qualities that most members of a certain category or type share
The researchers chose a representative sample of 800 people from different age groups and backgrounds.
研究人員選取了 800 名不同年齡層與背景的人作為代表性樣本。
representative sample — common collocation in research
Adaeze's opinion is fairly representative of what most students in the department think.
Adaeze 的看法相當能代表系上多數學生的想法。
This neighborhood is representative of many middle-class communities across the Midwest.
這個社區反映了美國中西部許多中產階級社區的典型樣貌。
The museum display shows a representative collection of pottery from the Ming dynasty.
博物館的展覽展出了一批具代表性的明代陶器收藏。
- typical
more common in everyday speech; 'representative' implies the example was chosen deliberately
- characteristic
focuses on specific features that define the group
- unrepresentative
not showing the typical qualities of the group
- atypical
not fitting the usual pattern
文法句型
representative + of [group]
representative sample
representative group
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'of' to link to the larger group. The phrase 'representative sample' is very common in statistics and survey research — it means the sample accurately reflects the whole population.
常見錯誤
2. describing a political system in which citizens vote for people to make decision
代議制的
人民投票選出官員來決策的制度
describing a political system in which citizens vote for people to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf
Taiwan has a representative democracy where citizens vote for their leaders every four years.
臺灣是代議民主制度，人民每四年投票選出領導人。
representative democracy — most common collocation
The country moved from a military dictatorship toward a representative form of government.
該國從軍事獨裁逐步轉向代議制政府。
In a representative system, elected officials are expected to listen to the people they serve.
在代議制度下，民選官員應當傾聽他們所服務的人民的聲音。
Many modern nations combine representative government with protections for individual rights.
許多現代國家將代議制政府與個人權利保障結合在一起。
- democratic
broader; includes direct democracy; 'representative' specifically means decisions are made by elected officials
- authoritarian
a system where power is held by one leader or a small group, not elected by citizens
- autocratic
ruled by one person with unlimited power
文法句型
representative government
representative democracy
representative system
用法筆記
This sense is used only before nouns ('representative government', 'representative democracy'). It is non-gradable — a system either is representative or it is not. Contrasts with 'direct democracy', where citizens vote on every issue themselves.