"serving to represent," late 14c., from Old French representatif (early 14c.), from Medieval Latin repraesentativus, from stem of Latin repraesentare (see represent). Meaning "standing for others" is from 1620s; in the political sense of "holding the place of the people in the government, having citizens represented by chosen persons" is first recorded 1620s. Meaning "pertaining to or founded on representation of the people" is from 1640s.
representative (n.)
1640s, "example, type," from representative (adj.); 1690s in sense of "member of a legislative body."
权威例句
1. Professor Baker is unacquainted with the idea of representative democracy.
贝克教授并不熟悉“代议制民主”这一思想。
2. Voters are interested in the representative's ability to bring home the bacon.
选民感兴趣的是代表能否兑现承诺。
3. "The community are getting impatient," said a representative of the Residents' Association.
“社区居民开始不耐烦了,”居民协会的一位代表说。
4. She had a stressful job as a sales representative.
作为一名销售代表,她的工作压力很大。
5. The legal profession is starting to be less elitist and more representative.