demonstrative

American  

[duh-mon-struh-tiv] / dəˈmɒn strə tɪv /

adjective

1. characterized by or given to open exhibition or expression of one's emotions, attitudes, etc., especially of love or affection.

   She wished her fiancé were more demonstrative.

2. serving to demonstrate; explanatory or illustrative.

3. serving to prove the truth of anything; indubitably conclusive.

4. Grammar. indicating or singling out the thing referred to. This is a demonstrative pronoun.

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noun

demonstratives plural

1. Grammar. a demonstrative word, as this or there.

demonstrative British  

/ dɪˈmɒnstrətɪv /

adjective

1. tending to manifest or express one's feelings easily or unreservedly

2. serving as proof; indicative

3. involving or characterized by demonstration

   a demonstrative lecture

4. conclusive; indubitable

   demonstrative arguments

5. grammar denoting or belonging to a class of determiners used to point out the individual referent or referents intended, such as this, that, these, and those Compare interrogative relative

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noun

1. grammar a demonstrative word or construction

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• demonstrativeness
  noun
• nondemonstrativeness
  noun
• nondemonstrative
  adjective
• predemonstrative
  adjective
• demonstratively
  adverb
• nondemonstratively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• demonstratives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of demonstrative

1350–1400; Middle English demonstratif (< Middle French ) < Latin dēmonstrātīvus, equivalent to dēmonstrāt ( us ) ( see demonstrate) + -īvus -ive

Explanation

People who are demonstrative easily and clearly show their emotions. A demonstrative person might shout "Hooray" and jump for joy at good news. A non-demonstrative person might feel no less excited, but refrain from demonstrating it. To demonstrate means to show, so think of demonstrative as showing. In legal terms, demonstrative is used to describe evidence that shows that something happened––a note that says "I did it" might show, or demonstrate, an accused person's guilt. In grammar, demonstrative pronouns––this, that, these, those––indicate the thing or person that is being pointed out, or shown, as in “Officer, it was ‘that’ man who stole my purse!”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

demonstrative demonstratives

Finns may not be known for demonstrative cheerfulness, nor necessarily for being makers of excessively happy music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

Mr. Pelley chose the former, more demonstrative course.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

World number one Aryna Sabalenka will provide the demonstrative energy in Saturday's Australian Open final, while fifth seed Elena Rybakina will offer clinical composure from the other side of the net.

From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026

These videos aren’t necessarily emblematic of what I like, but their presence is demonstrative of the strangest, most rat-like part of my brain, seeking dopamine hits in the form of weird, 30-second blips.

From Slate ● Dec. 17, 2024

We were never very demonstrative in our family; poor folk who toil and are full of cares are not so.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

"This distinction may explain the early evolutionary origin of demonstratives as linguistic forms," he added.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2023

They tested over 1,000 speakers to see how they use demonstratives in their language to describe where objects are across a range of different spatial configurations.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2023

Statistical analysis revealed the same mapping between reachable and non-reachable objects and demonstratives across all languages.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2023

Now, as there are frequently more demonstratives than one which can be used in a personal sense, two languages may be, in reality, very closely allied, though their personal pronouns of the third person differ.

From Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. to Which Is Added the Account of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition. — Volume 2 by MacGillivray, John

Hence, no practical advantage would be gained, by rejecting their established classification, as articles, numerals, and demonstratives, and by giving them new names.

From English Grammar in Familiar Lectures by Kirkham, Samuel

Related Words

• candid
• effusive
• outspoken