Standard Lemma guide

demonstrate

verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɛm.ənˌstɹeɪt/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈdem.ənˌstɹæɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: D EH1 M AH0 N S T R EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To show how to use (something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Can you demonstrate the new tools for us?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To participate in or organize a demonstration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Those people outside are demonstrating against the election results.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To show, display, or present; to prove or make evident

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The experiment demonstrated the instability of the compound
  • The mathematician showed the validity of the conjecture

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prove, establish, show, shew

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: confirm, corroborate, sustain, substantiate, support, affirm

Narrower terms: prove oneself, prove, negate, contradict, stultify

6

verb

Meaning 6

provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His high fever attested to his illness
  • The buildings in Rome manifest a high level of architectural sophistication
  • This decision demonstrates his sense of fairness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: attest, certify, manifest, evidence

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: testify, bear witness, prove, evidence, show

Narrower terms: authenticate, reflect, notarize, notarise, condemn

7

verb

Meaning 7

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She shows her dogs frequently
  • We will demo the new software in Washington

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: show, demo, exhibit, present

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: show

Narrower terms: bring home

8

verb

Meaning 8

march in protest; take part in a demonstration

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Thousands demonstrated against globalization during the meeting of the most powerful economic nations in Seattle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: march

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: protest, resist, dissent

Narrower terms: picket

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *men- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *monéyeti Proto-Italic *man-eje- Proto-Italic *moneō Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-trom Proto-Italic *-trom Proto-Italic *monestrom Latin mōnstrum Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin mōnstrō Latin dēmōnstrō Latin dēmōnstrātusbor. English demonstrate Borrowed from Latin dēmonstrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēmonstrō (“to show, point at”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French démontrer.

Across languages

Translations

84 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: nümayiş etdirmək — to show how to use something
  • Belarusian: пака́зваць (pakázvacʹ) — to show how to use something
  • Belarusian: паказа́ць (pakazácʹ) — to show how to use something
  • Bulgarian: показвам (pokazvam) — to show how to use something
  • Bulgarian: демонстрирам (demonstriram) — to show how to use something
  • Catalan: demostrar — to show how to use something
  • Danish: demonstrere — to show how to use something
  • Dutch: demonstreren — to show how to use something
  • Esperanto: montri — to show how to use something
  • Esperanto: elmontri — to show how to use something
  • Finnish: näyttää — to show how to use something
  • Finnish: demonstroida — to show how to use something
  • French: démontrer — to show how to use something
  • Galician: demostrar — to show how to use something
  • German: demonstrieren — to show how to use something
  • Greek: δείχνω (deíchno) — to show how to use something
  • Hungarian: bemutat — to show how to use something
  • Hungarian: szemléltet — to show how to use something
  • Ido: demonstrar — to show how to use something
  • Italian: dimostrare — to show how to use something
  • Latin: doceo — to show how to use something
  • Ligurian: dimostrâ — to show how to use something
  • Lushootseed: ʔugwus — to show how to use something
  • Polish: demonstrować — to show how to use something
  • Polish: zademonstrować — to show how to use something
  • Portuguese: demonstrar — to show how to use something
  • Romanian: demonstra — to show how to use something
  • Russian: пока́зывать (pokázyvatʹ) — to show how to use something
  • Russian: показа́ть (pokazátʹ) — to show how to use something
  • Russian: демонстри́ровать (demonstrírovatʹ) — to show how to use something
  • Russian: продемонстри́ровать (prodemonstrírovatʹ) — to show how to use something
  • Slovene: prikazati — to show how to use something
  • Spanish: demostrar — to show how to use something
  • Spanish: demonstrar — to show how to use something
  • Swedish: demonstrera — to show how to use something
  • Swedish: förevisa — to show how to use something
  • Thai: สาธิต (sǎa-tít) — to show how to use something
  • Catalan: demostrar — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 论证 (lùnzhèng) — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Danish: demonstrere — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Esperanto: demonstri — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Finnish: osoittaa — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Finnish: demonstroida — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • German: demonstrieren — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • German: aufzeigen — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Hungarian: kimutat — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Hungarian: igazol — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Hungarian: bizonyít — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Hungarian: bebizonyít — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Italian: dimostrare — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Latin: demonstro — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Ligurian: dimostrâ — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Polish: demonstrować — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Polish: zademonstrować — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Portuguese: demonstrar — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Russian: демонстри́ровать (demonstrírovatʹ) — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Russian: продемонстри́ровать (prodemonstrírovatʹ) — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Spanish: demostrar — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Spanish: demonstrar — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Swedish: demonstrera — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Thai: แสดง (sà-dɛɛng) — to show the steps taken to create a logical argument or equation
  • Arabic: تَظَاهَر (taẓāhar) — to participate in a demonstration
  • Arabic: احْتَجَّ — to participate in a demonstration
  • Bulgarian: демонстрирам (demonstriram) — to participate in a demonstration
  • Czech: demonstrovat — to participate in a demonstration
  • Esperanto: manifestacii — to participate in a demonstration
  • Finnish: osoittaa mieltään — to participate in a demonstration
  • Finnish: demonstroida — to participate in a demonstration
  • French: manifester — to participate in a demonstration
  • German: demonstrieren — to participate in a demonstration
  • Greek: διαδηλώνω (diadilóno) — to participate in a demonstration
  • Hebrew: הפגין (hifgín) — to participate in a demonstration
  • Hungarian: tüntet — to participate in a demonstration
  • Italian: manifestare — to participate in a demonstration
  • Māori: porotēhe — to participate in a demonstration
  • Norwegian Bokmål: demonstrere — to participate in a demonstration
  • Polish: demonstrować — to participate in a demonstration
  • Polish: zademonstrować — to participate in a demonstration
  • Northern Sami: čájehit miela — to participate in a demonstration
  • Northern Sami: demonstreret — to participate in a demonstration
  • Scottish Gaelic: tog fianais — to participate in a demonstration
  • Spanish: manifestar — to participate in a demonstration
  • Swedish: demonstrera — to participate in a demonstration
  • Vietnamese: biểu tình — to participate in a demonstration
Real reading context

demonstrate in complete knowledge articles