Demonstrate

//ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt// verb

verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To show how to use (something). transitive

    "Can you demonstrate the new tools for us?"

  2. 2
    establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment wordnet
  3. 3
    To show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation.
  4. 4
    provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes wordnet
  5. 5
    To participate in or organize a demonstration. intransitive

    "Those people outside are demonstrating against the election results."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    give an exhibition of to an interested audience wordnet
  2. 7
    To show, display, or present; to prove or make evident transitive

    "The debate was not long on policy, as questions about the Affordable Care Act and the war in Syria demonstrated."

  3. 8
    march in protest; take part in a demonstration wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
attestdenoteindicateproveshowsuggest

Example

More examples

"I don't know how to demonstrate it, since it's too obvious!"

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēmonstrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēmonstrō (“to show, point at”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French démontrer.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.