Acting or speaking on behalf of someone or something, or serving as a symbol or embodiment of an idea, quality, or group. Standing in place of something else in order to convey meaning.
From Latin 'repraesentare' meaning 'to present again, exhibit,' from 're-' (again) + 'praesentare' (to present). The political sense of acting for others developed in medieval times with the rise of parliamentary systems.
The concept of representation is uniquely human - no other species can agree that one thing stands for another in such complex ways. From cave paintings to emojis, we've always been obsessed with making the absent present, whether it's a deceased leader in a portrait or constituents in congress.
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