Representatives

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɹɛpɹɪˈzɛntətɪvz/

Definitions

1. Individuals selected to act for and speak on behalf of a larger entity
2. Officials who serve as intermediaries between constituents and authorities, conveying their opinions and needs
3. People chosen to act and speak in place of a group or organization

Etymology: "Representatives" is simply the plural of "representative," which came into English in the Middle Ages by way of French from the Medieval Latin "repraesentatīvus." Its core idea is the act of standing in for someone else, and the English word once had a native rival: Old English had "spala," meaning a representative, which the imported term eventually displaced. The Latin base is "repraesentare," meaning to present again or bring before the eyes, from "re-" (again) and "praesentare" (to present). The word therefore carries the sense of making something present once more, which is how a person or group can be made present in a meeting or assembly through someone who speaks for them. Its English form combines "represent" with the suffix "-ative," which forms adjectives and nouns meaning having the quality of or serving to do something.

Synonyms: delegates, agents, envoys, spokespersons, emissaries

Antonyms: constituents, followers, subordinates, inferiors, employees