means The act of standing in for, depicting, or symbolizing something — a person, idea, or thing — whether through an elected delegate, an image, a sign, or a substitute that points to the real absent thing.

from From Latin 'repraesentare' — 're-' (again) plus 'praesentare' (to present, to make present), built on 'praesens' (present, at hand). Literally: to make present again — to bring back what isn't there. It entered English through Old French 'representacion' in the late Middle Ages, first carrying the sense of an image or likeness; the political flavor — one person made present in another's place — grew later as parliaments and assemblies took shape.