represent
gb/ɹˌɛpɹɪzˈɛnt/ us/ɹˌɛpɹɪzˈɛnt/
B1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Act or speak on behalf of
To speak or act for another person or group.
Usage pattern:
to represent [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'represent' with 'present'. 'Represent' means to act for someone; 'present' means to show or give something.
Synonyms
advocate (Emphasizes publicly supporting or arguing for someone or something.)
Antonyms
oppose (Means to act against someone or something instead of supporting them.)
Collocations
represent a client
|represent the company
|represent the country
|represent interests
Themes
business
|law
|politics
|communication
Examples
- She was chosen to represent her country at the conference.
- The lawyer will represent you in court.
- Our union leader represents all the workers in negotiations.
Learner examples
- I will represent my class in the meeting.
- He represents our school in the game.
- She represents the workers in talks with the boss.
Verb
B1
relation
2
Be a symbol of something
To show or mean something as a sign or symbol.
Usage pattern:
to represent [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'present', which means to show something physically rather than symbolize it.
Synonyms
symbolize (Directly refers to standing for something as a symbol.)
Antonyms
misrepresent (Means to give a false or misleading idea of something.)
Collocations
represent freedom
|represent an idea
|represent change
Themes
culture
|communication
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The dove represents peace.
- These numbers represent the total sales for the year.
- The flag represents our nation.
Learner examples
- The red heart represents love.
- This picture represents my family.
- The flag represents our country.
Verb
B2
action
3
Describe or show something
To show or describe something in a certain way.
Usage pattern:
to represent [something] as [adjective]
Synonyms
portray (Often used for artistic or descriptive depiction.)
Antonyms
distort (Means to change something so it is no longer accurate.)
Collocations
represent accurately
|represent unfairly
|represent visually
Themes
art
|media
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- The movie represents life in the 19th century.
- This painting represents the struggle of workers.
- The book represents women as strong and independent.
Learner examples
- The photo represents the city well.
- The story represents him as kind.
- This map represents the area clearly.
Verb
B2
relation
4
Be equal to or amount to
To be the same as a number, amount, or meaning.
Usage pattern:
to represent [amount/value]
Synonyms
constitute (Often used in formal contexts meaning 'to make up'.)
Antonyms
differ from (Means to not be equal to something else.)
Collocations
represent 10%
|represent a cost of $500
Themes
mathematics
|measurement
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- These figures represent a 20% increase from last year.
- One unit represents ten meters on the map.
- The results represent significant progress.
Learner examples
- Five points represent five dollars.
- This mark represents one meter.
- The number 2 represents two apples.
Grammar
Dictionary form
represent
IPA
GB/ɹˌɛpɹɪzˈɛnt/
US/ɹˌɛpɹɪzˈɛnt/
Syllables & stress
rep - res - ent (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ent)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: represent
- 3rd Person Singular: represents
- Present Participle: representing
- Past: represented
Word family
Forms
represents
verb
representing
verb
represented
verb
Core family
representation
noun B1
representative
noun B1
Related words
misrepresent
verb
misrepresentation
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unrepresentative
adjective
Advanced or less common
representational
adjective
Expressions
represent the best of
1/ɹˌɛpɹɪzˈɛnt ðə bˈɛst əv/
fixed phrase
Be the best example of something
To be the best example of a group or type.
Examples
- These athletes represent the best of our nation.
- Her work represents the best of modern design.
represent yourself
1/ɹˌɛpɹɪzˈɛnt jʊɹsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Act as your own lawyer in court
To speak for yourself in court without a lawyer.
Examples
- He decided to represent himself during the trial.
- If you cannot afford an attorney, you may represent yourself.