as in symbolic
having the function or meaning of an object or figure that stands for something else
a computer program with representational icons for different functions
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Recent Examples of representational
Her own work moves between evocative and representational — but there’s always a thread.
—
The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
This means that representational alignment may be a solvable problem and a step toward addressing broader alignment challenges.
—Arryn Robbins, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
Included are a variety of abstract, representational, landscapes, seascapes and whimsical pieces, some of which have a specific meaning, McCabe said.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The piece is entirely presentational, with minimal representational actions taking place between the brothers.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
But the sight of a Jew excelling in sports is even more than a bit of representational inspiration.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
When attention is this constrained, dedicating visual bandwidth to representational cues necessarily displaces something else.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 7 Feb. 2026
As that might lead you to expect, there’s not much to be wildly enthused about here, past the representational plane.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
That paper, like much of the early work on representational similarity, focused only on computer vision, which was then the most popular branch of AI research.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 7 Jan. 2026
The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
This means that representational alignment may be a solvable problem and a step toward addressing broader alignment challenges.
—Arryn Robbins, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
Included are a variety of abstract, representational, landscapes, seascapes and whimsical pieces, some of which have a specific meaning, McCabe said.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The piece is entirely presentational, with minimal representational actions taking place between the brothers.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
But the sight of a Jew excelling in sports is even more than a bit of representational inspiration.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
When attention is this constrained, dedicating visual bandwidth to representational cues necessarily displaces something else.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 7 Feb. 2026
As that might lead you to expect, there’s not much to be wildly enthused about here, past the representational plane.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
That paper, like much of the early work on representational similarity, focused only on computer vision, which was then the most popular branch of AI research.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for representational
Adjective
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The summit did not happen, with Aoun saying a security deal needed to be in place and Israeli attacks needed to end before such a landmark symbolic meeting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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Advocates and some council members have expressed concerns that the new rules may be symbolic and unenforceable.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Residents can also request visits from Aurora firefighters or their local police area representative officer during the event.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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This study analyzed nationally representative survey data collected between 2021 and 2023 from over 33,700 adolescents.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Representational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/representational. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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