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

Meloni received Rubio politely, with the customary Italian cheek kisses and brief hug, but without the demonstrative warmth she sometimes shows other dignitaries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 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

The audience’s demonstrative empathy for Louis, though, is as much a credit to the writing as Goldstein’s performance.

From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2024

But while the attack was more than purely demonstrative, it did not appear to signal Iran’s desire for an all-out fight.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2024

But, at other times, vast, well-constructed, apparently robust intellectual edifices are swept away with barely a murmur because, to paraphrase Vadianus, experience really can be demonstrative.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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

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

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

The demonstratives are used as articles: gazt-en-or, "this younger one"; andre-ori, "this lady at some distance."

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" by Various

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 Samuel Kirkham

Related Words

• candid
• effusive
• outspoken