Representations

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɹɛp.ɹə.zɛnˈteɪ.ʃənz/

Definitions

1. Creative expressions that visualize or symbolize concepts or ideas
2. Visual or verbal depictions that convey the appearance or nature of someone or something ; objects or signs used to indicate or stand for ideas or entities
3. The act of illustrating or describing something to reflect its characteristics or essence ; emblems or figures used to express or signify other concepts

Etymology: The plural "representations" is simply the plural of "representation," so the real story belongs to the singular. It came into English in the late Middle English period, borrowed from Old French "representacion," which in turn came from the Latin "repraesentātiō," a noun built from "repraesentāre," meaning to bring back into view or make present again. Its parts are the prefix "re-" and "praesentāre," "to present," so a representation is literally something that presents again what is absent. That literal sense of making something present is still visible in the word's range of uses. A portrait, a model, or a map represents a thing by standing in for it, which is why the plural is so often used for pictures and images of objects, people, or scenes. The same core idea of standing in for something absent also gave the word its sense of a person acting on behalf of others, as in a representation made to a government.

Synonyms: depictions, illustrations, portrayals