Representation Representation Representation 1. The fact of standing for, or in place of, some other thing or person, esp. As the above dictionary entry shows, the actual definitions for the word alone are cause for some confusion. There is an implied visual component to these primary definitions.
Representations can be clear images, material reproductions, performances and simulations.
Representation can also be defined as the act of placing or stating facts in order to influence or affect the action of others. Of course, the word also has political connotations. Politicians are thought to 'represent' a constituency. They are thought to have the right to stand in the place of another. So above all, the term representation has a semiotic meaning, in that something is 'standing for' something else.