representationalism: Meaning and Definition of

rep•re•sen•ta•tion•al•ism

1. Also calledthe view that the objects of perception are ideas or sense data that represent external objects, esp. the Lockean doctrine that the perceived idea represents exactly the primary qualities of the external object.
2. the practice or principle of representing or depicting an object in a recognizable manner, esp. the portrayal of the surface characteristics of an object as they appear to the eye.