Unrepresentative

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not typical or characteristic of a larger group, failing to accurately reflect the qualities or opinions of the whole
2. Not serving as a suitable or accurate example of a broader category, lacking the essential attributes or views that represent the collective
3. Failing to depict the predominant characteristics or sentiments of a larger set, thus being an inadequate reflection of the general consensus

Etymology: The prefix "un-" is one of the oldest elements in English, descending from a Proto-Indo-European root for "not" that also gave Latin "in-" and Greek "a-". It arrived in Old English as a Germanic negating prefix, and English speakers have attached it to countless existing words ever since. "Unrepresentative" is a plain example of this process: it is simply "representative" with the negating prefix added. "Representative" itself has the more interesting pedigree, since it carries the sense of standing in for others, as when a person speaks or acts on behalf of a group. Adding "un-" reverses that sense, so the word describes something that fails to stand for the whole it is supposed to mirror, such as a sample that does not reflect a population or a spokesperson who does not speak for the people they claim to represent.

Synonyms: untypical, atypical, nonstandard, deviant, irregular

Antonyms: representative, typical, standard, normal, regular