demonstrable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being demonstrated or proved.
-
clearly evident; obvious.
a demonstrable lack of concern for the general welfare.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- demonstrability noun
- demonstrableness noun
- demonstrably adverb
- nondemonstrability noun
- nondemonstrable adjective
- nondemonstrableness noun
- undemonstrable adjective
- undemonstrableness noun
Etymology
Origin of demonstrable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin dēmonstrābilis, equivalent to Latin dēmonstrā(re) ( demonstrate ) + -bilis -ble
Explanation
If you can demonstrate to me how something works, then it must be demonstrable. You might think that word should be "demonstratable," but you'd be wrong — that word doesn't exist. Who can say why some words change a little when we change their part of speech. They just do. The verb demonstrate means to show or instruct. The adjective shortens the root to become demonstrable. The steps for buckling a seatbelt must be easily demonstrable, or people will go flying all over the cabin. Demonstrable is often used to refer to the truth of something: if something isn't demonstrable, then we can't really say that it exists, can we?
Vocabulary lists containing demonstrable
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Power Suffix: -able
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President Obama's Farewell Address
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The online-trading company is making demonstrable progress as it keeps its generous capital return policy, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Real economic value: Whether it’s AI-facilitated cost cuts, reduced settlement times due to stablecoins or improved liquidity via tokenization, business cases must be demonstrable.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 16, 2026
That actually takes this beyond Judge Boasberg’s saga, because this seems to involve cut-and-dry, eminently demonstrable perjury.
From Slate • Dec. 20, 2025
“This exhaustive approach compels developers to allocate significant time and resources toward preparing for hypothetical risks rather than addressing actual, demonstrable harms,” wrote the Chamber of Progress.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2025
Instead, Japanese and Ainu have no demonstrable relationship, and the relationship between Japanese and Korean is distant.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
