Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To show clearly and deliberately; manifest.
  • intransitive verb To show to be true by reasoning or adducing evidence; prove.
  • intransitive verb To present by experiments, examples, or practical application; explain and illustrate.
  • intransitive verb To show the use of (an article) to a prospective buyer.
  • intransitive verb To give a demonstration.
  • intransitive verb To participate in a public display of opinion.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To point out; indicate; make evident; exhibit.
  • Specifically To exhibit, describe, and explain, as the parts of a dissected body; teach by the ocular use of examples, as a physical science, especially anatomy or any of its principles.
  • To establish the truth of; fully establish by arguments; adduce convincing reasons for belief in, as a proposition.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To point out; to show; to exhibit; to make evident.
  • transitive verb To show, or make evident, by reasoning or proof; to prove by deduction; to establish so as to exclude the possibility of doubt or denial.
  • transitive verb (Anat.) To exhibit and explain (a dissection or other anatomical preparation).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To display the method of using an object.
  • verb To show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation.
  • verb To participate in or organize a demonstration.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment
  • verb march in protest; take part in a demonstration
  • verb give an exhibition of to an interested audience
  • verb provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin dēmōnstrāre, dēmōnstrāt- : dē-, completely; see de– + mōnstrāre, to show (from mōnstrum, divine portent, from monēre, to warn; see men- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin dēmonstrō ("I show")

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Examples

  • Now, if Judge Douglas will demonstrate somehow that this is popular sovereignty, —the right of one man to make a slave of another, without any right in that other, or anyone else to object, —demonstrate it as Euclid demonstrated propositions, —there is no objection.

    Speech of Hon. Abraham Lincoln 1897

  • A glance at some of the Court's business cases this term demonstrate the important role it can play in protecting business from improvident regulation.

    Business Could Use A Friend 2010

  • The simply meanness of that they demonstrate is sad if he decided to run as an independent all the power to him.

    Source: Rubio campaign asked for Cheney's backing 2010

  • This definition of FTA, as Dr. Heddle goes on to demonstrate, is on more firm ground.

    David Heddle's take on the Fine-Tuning Argument 2010

  • On the other hand, I'd miss all the joy of leaping for the sky that Jackie and Kristin demonstrate so well.

    concours - French Word-A-Day 2009

  • The only thing this project would demonstrate is that HSR is a lousy investment.

    Matthew Yglesias » Where to Build HSR 2010

  • What we have tried to demonstrate is that individually each assumption on its own is not likely.

    Howard F. Jeter: Nigeria on the Brink: A Rejoinder Howard F. Jeter 2010

  • One thing that even this initial section of The Early Stories begins to demonstrate is the price to be paid by a writer determined to survive simply as a writer, to have a "career" in fiction writing and not to either martyr himself in his poverty or take up a supporting career as professor or editor.

    Updike, John 2010

  • What we have tried to demonstrate is that individually each assumption on its own is not likely.

    Howard F. Jeter: Nigeria on the Brink: A Rejoinder Howard F. Jeter 2010

  • All the driver must demonstrate is that he is here legally.

    Page 2 2009

Comments

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  • dEMOnstraTE

    May 9, 2008