To underrepresent is to present or depict a group, concept, or characteristic in a way that is insufficient or fails to accurately reflect its true significance, prevalence, or characteristics. This can occur through various methods, including a lack of representation, skewed portrayal, or inadequate emphasis. The resulting depiction provides an incomplete or misleading understanding of the subject, potentially leading to inaccurate conclusions or biased perspectives. Underrepresentation often highlights a failure to accurately reflect the diversity or importance of something within a given context. It is an active omission or passive neglect that leads to a disservice or misrepresentation in any medium.
Underrepresents meaning with examples
- The study severely underrepresents the impact of climate change on coastal communities. Its limited scope and data points gloss over significant threats like rising sea levels, making its conclusions misleading about real-world devastation. The report's emphasis should be on the severity of environmental changes to adequately reflect the urgency of environmental challenges.
- The history textbook underrepresents the contributions of women in science, focusing primarily on male scientists. As a result, the book provides an incomplete picture of scientific progress and obscures the vital role women played. It should provide information on all genders to deliver an informed and inclusive account of scientific innovation.
- The media outlet underrepresents minority groups in its news coverage and only has select stories. This lack of diversity in reporting creates a biased perspective on social issues, limiting the audience's understanding of different experiences and perspectives. The outlet needs to address these gaps by providing a diversity of viewpoints.
- The algorithm underrepresents certain demographics in its training data, leading to biased outcomes in hiring recommendations. This algorithmic bias perpetuates inequalities and discriminates against particular groups, undermining fairness. The model needs to include all data to give a fair analysis.
- The survey questions underrepresents the nuances of customer satisfaction, with only limited options. Customers may feel a lack of validation or opportunity to share their experiences when answering the questionnaire because its focus is narrow. The survey needs to be adjusted to provide additional areas for feedback.