représentatives

Représentatives is a French term that most often appears as the feminine plural form of the adjective représentatif, meaning "representative." It is used to describe nouns that stand for or reflect the characteristics of a larger group, such as data, opinions, or samples. For example: "des données représentatives de l'enquête" or "des opinions représentatives du public."

Grammatical notes: As an adjective, représentatives agrees with feminine plural nouns. Thus phrases like "données représentatives" or "opinions représentatives" are correct. In contrast, the noun meaning a female representative is "représentante" (singular) and its plural is "représentantes." The form "représentatives" is not used as the noun form for people.

Usage: In political or organizational contexts, "représentantes" is used for women who hold representative roles. The masculine equivalent is "représentants." The term "représentatives" may appear in academic discussions about representation but is rare as a stand-alone noun.

See also: representation, representative democracy, gender and representation.