representative by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "representative by" is not correct in standard written English.
It is likely intended to convey the idea of being represented by someone or something, but the phrasing is awkward and unclear. Example: "The organization is represented by a skilled team of professionals."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

What's interesting to us is an idea of liquid democracy or proxy voting where you can dynamically delegate your vote to someone who may not be a representative by territory, but may represent your views by their knowledge.

TechCrunch

Assess the representative by the accuracy of the resemblance between the representative and the represented.

SEP

They are representative by age, gender, region and seniority of all family doctors.

The Guardian

But there is no one who has declared lived experience of disability, and who is recognised as a representative by the disability sector.

The Guardian - Opinion

The point isn't to make juries statistically "representative" by some bean counter's decree; it's to let the system do what it does best.

The New Yorker

A press representative by trade, she punches below her weight in the workplace, but when it comes to mockery she's a heavyweight contender.

The New Yorker

During an appearance before the European Parliament in France, he responded to a tough question from a German representative by comparing him to a concentration camp leader.

The New York Times

Mr. Steere has also increased the revenue from each sales representative by having them sell drugs made by other companies under joint agreements.

The New York Times

All these complaints go right to the top, and if I hadn't had my union representative by my side at meetings, I might have gotten fired years ago.

The New York Times

The rank outsider was elevated to the role of High Representative by a unanimous decision of the 27 EU leaders around the summit table.

Independent

He chose 13 representatives from the phone customer service team for his chat team, and although most handle chats exclusively, there are situations in which the customer asks to speak to the customer service representative by phone.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "represented by" or "as a representative of" for clarity. These alternatives are grammatically correct and widely accepted.

Common error

Avoid using "representative by" as it's not standard English. Instead, rephrase to clearly indicate who or what is doing the representing. For example, instead of saying "the sample is representative by age", say "the sample is representative in terms of age" or "the sample is stratified by age".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "representative by" functions as part of a prepositional phrase, attempting to describe a relationship of representation. However, as noted by Ludwig AI, it does not conform to standard English grammar. It often appears in contexts aiming to specify characteristics for which something or someone is representative.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

38%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "representative by" appears frequently across various sources, Ludwig AI indicates that it's not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It attempts to convey the idea of being represented according to certain criteria but is better replaced with alternatives like ""represented by"" or "as a representative of" for improved clarity and grammatical accuracy. The phrase is most commonly found in scientific and news contexts, but its incorrect usage diminishes its authority. For clear and correct writing, avoid "representative by" and opt for grammatically sound alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

represented by

Uses a passive construction to indicate who or what is acting as the representative.

acting on behalf of

Emphasizes the action of representing and the entity being represented.

as a representative of

Clearly states the role of representation and the entity represented.

delegated by

Highlights the act of delegation, where authority is passed to a representative.

authorized by

Focuses on the authorization or permission granted to the representative.

on behalf of

Indicates acting in the interest or place of another.

with the authority of

Emphasizes the power and legitimacy granted to the representative.

as an agent of

Highlights the agency relationship between the representative and the represented.

in the place of

Suggests the representative is substituting for someone or something else.

standing in for

Implies a temporary substitution or representation role.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say something is representative of a group?

The correct phrasing is usually "represented by" or "as a representative of". For example, "The sample is "represented by" individuals from various age groups" is correct, while "The sample is representative by age groups" is not.

How can I avoid using the phrase "representative by"?

Instead of "representative by", use phrases like ""represented by"", "as a representative of", or "characterized by" depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "representative by" and "represented by"?

"Representative by" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is ""represented by"", which means something is acting on behalf of something else.

What are some alternatives to show a sample is representative?

You can say the sample is "representative of", "reflective of", or "typical of" the population. For instance, "The sample is representative of the general population in terms of age and gender".