- (transitive)
to show, manifest, or prove, esp by reasoning, evidence, etc - (transitive)
to evince; reveal the existence of - (transitive)
to explain or illustrate by experiment, example, etc - (transitive)
to display, operate, and explain the workings of (a machine, product, etc) - (intransitive)
to manifest support, protest, etc, by public parades or rallies - (intransitive)
to be employed as a demonstrator of machinery, etc - (intransitive)
to make a show of force, esp in order to deceive one's enemy
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
dem•on•strate /ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt/USA pronunciation
v., -strat•ed, -strat•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to describe, explain, or illustrate by examples;
teach;
show: [ ~ + obj]:demonstrated the proper method of fastening the parachute.[ ~ + clause]:demonstrated how to fire the rifle. - to make evident or establish by reasoning;
prove: [ ~ + obj]:This demonstrates my point.[ ~ + (that) clause]:demonstrated that time had to be the fourth dimension. - [ ~ + obj] to display openly or publicly:The firefighters demonstrated great courage.
- [ ~ + obj] to exhibit the operation or use of (a product), esp. to a prospective customer:going door to door, demonstrating vacuum cleaners.
- [no obj] to make, give, or take part in a demonstration:demonstrating against the new quotas.
- demonstrate is a verb, demonstrative is an adjective, demonstration is a noun:Let me demonstrate how this works. He's very demonstrative; he always hugs his children. There was a demonstration against the war.
dem•on•strate
(dem′ən strāt′),USA pronunciation v., -strat•ed, -strat•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
dem′on•strat′ed•ly, adv.
v.t.
- to make evident or establish by arguments or reasoning;
prove:to demonstrate a philosophical principle. - to describe, explain, or illustrate by examples, specimens, experiments, or the like:to demonstrate the force of gravity by dropping an object.
- to manifest or exhibit;
show:He demonstrated his courage by his actions in battle. - to display openly or publicly, as feelings:to demonstrate one's anger by slamming a door.
- to exhibit the operation or use of (a device, process, product, or the like), usually to a purchaser or prospect:to demonstrate an automobile.
v.i.
- to make, give, or take part in, a demonstration:The pickets required a license to demonstrate.
- Militaryto attack or make a show of force to deceive an enemy.
- Latin dēmonstrātus, past participle of dēmonstrāre to show, point out, equivalent. to dē- de- + monstrāre to show, verb, verbal derivative of monstrum sign, portent
- 1545–55
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged show, confirm, verify, corroborate.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'demonstrated' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Bacon
- Buchner
- Foucault
- Galileo
- Guericke
- Hahn
- Lind
- Marshall
- QED
- Tatum
- Warren
- antimilitant
- apodictic
- ayatollah
- demonstrable
- demonstrate
- explicit
- indemonstrable
- proposition
- quod erat demonstrandum
- resurrection
- satisficing behaviour
- well-demonstrated