demonstrate

American  

[dem-uhn-streyt] / ˈdɛm ənˌstreɪt /

verb (used with object)

demonstrated, demonstrating

1. to make evident or establish by arguments or reasoning; prove.

   to demonstrate a philosophical principle.

   Synonyms:

   corroborate, verify, confirm, show

2. to describe, explain, or illustrate by examples, specimens, experiments, or the like.

   to demonstrate the force of gravity by dropping an object.

3. to manifest or exhibit; show.

   He demonstrated his courage by his actions in battle.

4. to display openly or publicly, as feelings.

   to demonstrate one's anger by slamming a door.

5. to exhibit the operation or use of (a device, process, product, or the like), usually to a purchaser or prospect.

   to demonstrate an automobile.

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verb (used without object)

demonstrated, demonstrating

1. to make, give, or take part in, a demonstration.

   The pickets required a license to demonstrate.

2. Military. to attack or make a show of force to deceive an enemy.

demonstrate British  

/ ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to show, manifest, or prove, esp by reasoning, evidence, etc

   it is easy to demonstrate the truth of this proposition

2. (tr) to evince; reveal the existence of

   the scheme later demonstrated a fatal flaw

3. (tr) to explain or illustrate by experiment, example, etc

4. (tr) to display, operate, and explain the workings of (a machine, product, etc)

5. (intr) to manifest support, protest, etc, by public parades or rallies

6. (intr) to be employed as a demonstrator of machinery, etc

7. (intr) military to make a show of force, esp in order to deceive one's enemy

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Other Word Forms

• counterdemonstrate verb (used without object)
• demonstratedly adverb
• predemonstrate verb (used with object)
• redemonstrate verb
• subdemonstrate verb (used with object)
• undemonstrated adjective
• well-demonstrated adjective

Etymology

Origin of demonstrate

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin dēmonstrātus, past participle of dēmonstrāre “to show, point out,” equivalent to dē- de- + monstrāre “to show,” verbal derivative of monstrum “sign, portent”; monster ( def. )

Explanation

When you demonstrate something, you show what it is or how it works. To demonstrate how your new juicer works, you should have lots of kale, carrots, and beets on hand — and some brave friends to try your concoction. Demonstrate comes from the Latin word demonstrare, meaning “to point out by argument or deduction.” To demonstrate a point you must make a valid argument and give examples of why you think it's true. Demonstrate can also refer to a public protest. You can demonstrate with your comrades by marching through the streets with homemade protest signs.

Example Sentences

A senior administration official said that Trump sent Vance along with Kushner and Witkoff, who led the last round of unsuccessful talks, to demonstrate that the team was speaking on behalf of the president.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Before that, companies will need to test in-orbit refueling and send an unmanned lunar lander to the Moon to demonstrate its safety.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

“We remain optimistic that Tesla will be able to demonstrate improvements in this area of their robotaxi operations,” said Percoco, who rates Tesla at equal-weight with a $415 price target.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

"You would have liked to have thought… this would have been a great opportunity… to demonstrate the importance of sustainable fuel as an alternative."

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

He tabulated the chest breadth and height of 5,738 soldiers to demonstrate that chest size and height were distributed along smooth, continuous, bell-shaped curves.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• determine
• establish
• exhibit
• expose
• indicate
• manifest
• prove
• test
• testify to
• try
• validate