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Glite Dictionary
to overrepresent

to overrepresent

6.5
To be in a group in larger numbers than is fair or expected
  • verb
  • /ˌoʊvərˈrɛprɪˌzɛnt/
translation icon : sobrerrepresentar
  • The movie critics seemed to overrepresent the film's flaws, ignoring its many strengths.

The Senate is so overrepresented by less populated areas and they wield such a big stick.

Examples

  • The design of the survey may overrepresent opinions from urban residents, leaving rural voices unheard.

  • Our results may therefore overrepresent features of CHW programs that can be measured and written about more easily.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Overrepresent me negatively on the television.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The Senate is so overrepresented by less populated areas and they wield such a big stick.

    I've Had It

  • The desire to underrepresent individual household size, while advantageous for personal tax purposes, conflicts with the desire at the community level to overrepresent the barrio's population.

    Academic text (2002)

  • First, plurality systems with single-member constituencies tend to overrepresent large parties with concentrated support coinciding with electoral boundaries.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The missing respondents tended to overrepresent boys and individuals with lower levels of prosocial characteristics (i.e., missing respondents per classroom often included some of the affiliative partners of students with EBD).

    Academic text (1994)

  • Certain demographics can overrepresent their views in social media discussions, leading to skewed perceptions.

Synonyms

to predominate
vsto overrepresent
8 6.7

To be more common or important than others

is present in greater numbers or influence than is fair or expected

Antonyms

to underrepresent
1 5.8

Show something as less common or important than it really is

How Represented

to overrepresent
6.5
to represent
126 2.6

Surface Forms

overrepresent infinitive
overrepresented past
overrepresented past participle
overrepresenting present participle
overrepresents third person singular

Morphology

overrepresent = represent (transparent) = over + represent

The productive prefix 'over-' meaning 'excessively' combines directly with the verb 'represent' to mean representing to an excessive degree, which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

Overrepresent comes from over- ('too much') and represent ('to stand for or show'). So, to overrepresent a group is to have too many people from that group or to give them more say or influence than is fair.