Dictionary

demonstration en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɛmənˈstɹeɪʃən/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English demonstracioun, from Old French demonstration, from Latin dēmōnstrātiōnem, from dēmōnstrāre (“show or explain”), from dē- (“of or concerning”) + mōnstrāre (“show”). Morphologically demonstrate + -ion.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of demonstrating; showing or explaining something.
   • [VV]e are able with playne demonſtration to proue, and vvith reaſon to perſvvade that in tymes paſt our fayth vvas alike, that then vve preached thinges correſpondent vnto the forme of faith already published of vs, ſo that none in this behalfe can repyne or gaynesay vs. 1577, Socrates Scholasticus [i.e., Socrates of Constantinople], “Constantinus the Emperour Summoneth the Nicene Councell, it was Held at Nicæa a Citie of Bythnia for the Debatinge of the Controuersie about the Feast of Easter, and the Rootinge out of the Heresie of Arius”, in Eusebius Pamphilus, Socrates Scholasticus, Evagrius Scholasticus, Dorotheus, translated by Meredith Hanmer, The Avncient Ecclesiasticall Histories of the First Six Hundred Yeares after Christ, Wrytten in the Greeke Tongue by Three Learned Historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. …, book I (The First Booke of the Ecclesiasticall Historye of Socrates Scholasticvs), imprinted at London: By Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blackefriers by Ludgate, →OCLC, page 225:
2. (countable, slang, uncountable) The act of demonstrating; showing or explaining something. ▸ A prisoner's act of beating up another prisoner.
3. (countable, uncountable) An event at which something will be demonstrated.
   • I have to give a demonstration to the class tomorrow, and I'm ill-prepared.
4. (countable, uncountable) Expression of one's feelings by outward signs.
5. (countable, uncountable) A public display of group opinion, such as a protest march.
   • Demetriez McCants stood in a protest holding a placard saying “No justice, no peace”. He was a friend of Christopher Thompkins, and had joined a demonstration of his supporters and relatives. 2026 August 23, Aniket Chaughule, “Christopher Thompkins Vanished From a Georgia Survey Site in 2002. His Coworkers Were Only 50 Feet Away”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2026:
   • Even when there had been hecklers, Victor and other members would focus on setting up their demonstration — signs reading “Let them go now,” and posters bearing the faces of 58 hostages still being held in Gaza. 2025 June 3, Danya Gainor and TuAnh Dam, “How a demonstration for Israeli hostages ended in an antisemitic firebombing”, in CNN:
   • It's produced tremendous activism and backlash: there's been all sorts of demonstrations and mobilizations in civil society, there's been examples from the people from the Administration being heckled in a restaurant or not served in a restaurant, there's been a growing crescendo of conversation about what that means. 2018 June 26, Chris Hayes, quotee, “How bad is it, really? Ezra Klein evaluates life in the Trump era: transcript & podcast”, in Why Is This Happening?:
6. (countable, uncountable) A show of military force.
7. (countable, uncountable) A proof.
   • He read the proposition. […] So he reads the demonstration of it, which referred him back to such a proposition,; which proposition he read. a. 1697, John Aubrey, Brief Lives, s.v. Thomas Hobbes
   • If, then, proof from the basic truth is more accurate than proof not so derived, demonstration which depends more closely on it is more accurate than demonstration which is less closely dependent. 2021 September 21, Aristotle, The Complete Works of Aristotle. Illustrated: Logic, Universal Physics, Human Physics, Animal Physics, Metaphysics, Ethics and Politics and other, Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing:

Forms

Deriveds

demonstration garden · nondemonstration · redemonstration · demonstrational · demonstration sport · counterdemonstration · return demonstration · demonstration effect · telestration

Descendants

デモンストレーション · demonstratie · Demonstration

Relateds

demo · demonstrator · monster · remonstration · demonstrate · demonstrable

Synonyms

parade (public display of opposition) · manifestation (public display of opposition) · protest (public display of opposition) · march (public display of opposition)

Translations (191)

ru ми́тинг (public display of group opinion) · fi todistus (mathematical proof) · lv demonstrācija (public display of group opinion) · vi biểu tình (public display of group opinion) · sv demonstration (act) · ps لاريون (public display of group opinion) · se miellačájeheapmi (public display of group opinion) · ro manifestaţie (public display of group opinion) · tr gösteri (public display of group opinion) · az nümayiş (public display of group opinion) · ar تَظَاهُر (public display of group opinion) · fi mielenosoitus (expression of one's feelings by outward signs) · fi voimannäyttö (show of military force) · tg намоиш (public display of group opinion) · ky митинг (public display of group opinion) · kk митинг (public display of group opinion) · fr démonstration (act) · la demonstratio (public display of group opinion) · de Demonstration (event) · be мі́тынг (public display of group opinion) · fi demonstraatio (event) · nl betoog (act) · es demonstración (act) · km បាតុកម្ម (public display of group opinion) · da demonstration (act) · sl demonstracija (public display of group opinion) · tg роҳпаймоӣ (public display of group opinion) · se demonstrašuvdna (public display of group opinion) · sv manifestation (public display of group opinion) · fa-ira نَمایِش (act) · uk демонстра́ція (public display of group opinion) · el διαδήλωση (public display of group opinion) · ru пока́з (event) · cmn 演示 (event) · pl demonstracja (event) · syc ܚܘܘܝܐ (mathematical proof) · ota نمایش (act) · ru демонстра́ция (event) · hi जुलूस (public display of group opinion) · tg митинг (public display of group opinion) · is kröfuganga (public display of group opinion) · it dimostrazione (public display of group opinion) · da demonstration (public display of group opinion) · hy ցույց (public display of group opinion) · tg манифестатсия (public display of group opinion) · nl betoging (event) · ro demonstrație (act) · bg демонстра́ция (event) · fr démonstration (public display of group opinion) · ga léiriú (mathematical proof) · es demostración (act) · tg намоиш (act) · lt mitingas (public display of group opinion) · pl demonstracja (show of military force) · ug نامايىش (public display of group opinion) · uk демонстра́ція (event) · ja 実証 (act) · hy ցուցադրում (act) · es demonstración (event) · ru демонстра́ция (public display of group opinion) · sv demonstration (event) · hi प्रदर्शन (event) · fr manifestation (public display of group opinion) · yi מאַניפֿעסטאַציע (public display of group opinion) · mn жагсаал (public display of group opinion) · pl demonstracja (act) · ko 데모 (public display of group opinion) · ga taispeántas (event) · be дэманстра́цыя (public display of group opinion) · fi havainnollistaminen (act) · fi havainnollistus (event) · ko 논증 (act) · el επίδειξη (event) · cmn 證實 /证实 (event) · my ဆန္ဒပြပွဲ (public display of group opinion) · be дэманстра́цыя (act) · lo ການເດີນຂະບວນ (public display of group opinion) · ro demonstrație (public display of group opinion) · mk доказ (mathematical proof) · es manifestación (public display of group opinion) · fo mótmælisgonga (public display of group opinion) · ky манифестация (public display of group opinion) · cmn 示範 /示范 (act) · fi mielenosoitus (public display of group opinion) · cmn 示威 (public display of group opinion) · uz demonstratsiya (public display of group opinion) · pt demonstração (event) · ro demonstrare (act) · mk демонстрација (public display of group opinion) · ka დემონსტრაცია (public display of group opinion) · ko 론증 (act) · et miiting (public display of group opinion) · sh demonstrácija (public display of group opinion) · de Demonstration (public display of group opinion) · ja 示威 (public display of group opinion) · kk демонстрация (public display of group opinion) · de Vorführung (event) · hu szemléltetés (act) · es demostración (event) · he הַפְגָּנָה (public display of group opinion) · fi demonstrointi (act) · gd taisbeanadh (public display of group opinion) · la demonstratio (act) · cmn 演示 (act) · ms tunjuk perasaan (public display of group opinion) · tk demonstrasiýa (public display of group opinion) · ar مُظَاهَرَة (public display of group opinion) · hy ցուցադրություն (event) · uz namoyish (public display of group opinion) · fa-ira تَظاهَرات (public display of group opinion) · ko 시위 (public display of group opinion) · lv mītings (public display of group opinion) · la demonstratio (event) · ga léirsiú (public display of group opinion) · nl demonstratie (public display of group opinion) · nb demonstrasjon (public display of group opinion) · az təzəhürat (public display of group opinion) · sk demonštrácia (public display of group opinion) · th การเดินขบวน (public display of group opinion) · sh демонстра́ција (public display of group opinion) · bn বিক্ষোভ (public display of group opinion) · it dimostrazione (act) · bg ми́тинг (public display of group opinion) · fo kravgonga (public display of group opinion) · uk мі́тинг (public display of group opinion) · ky демонстрация (public display of group opinion) · grc ἀπόδειξις (act) · csb demónstracjô (act) · it manifestazione (public display of group opinion) · kk манифестация (public display of group opinion) · ms demonstrasi (public display of group opinion) · be маніфеста́цыя (public display of group opinion) · de Demonstration (act) · ja デモンストレーション (event) · hi प्रदर्शन (public display of group opinion) · nl demonstratie (event) · tr nümayiş (public display of group opinion) · cs důkaz (mathematical proof) · is mótmælaganga (public display of group opinion) · tk miting (public display of group opinion) · eo demonstro (mathematical proof) · da demonstration (event) · ru демонстра́ция (act) · ga taispeántas (act) · ru пока́з (act) · th การสาธิต (act) · id demonstrasi (public display of group opinion) · ja デモ (event) · fr démonstration (event) · fa-ira راهْپِیْمایی (public display of group opinion) · pt demonstração (act) · ga léirchruthú (mathematical proof) · cs demonstrace (public display of group opinion) · uk маніфеста́ція (public display of group opinion) · nl demonstratie (act) · cmn 遊行 /游行 (public display of group opinion) · ms unjuk rasa (public display of group opinion) · hu tüntetés (public display of group opinion) · ka მანიფესტაცია (public display of group opinion) · se miellačájáhus (public display of group opinion) · ja デモ (public display of group opinion) · sv demonstration (public display of group opinion) · it dimostrazione (event) · nl betoging (public display of group opinion) · ko 집회 (public display of group opinion) · bg демонстра́ция (act) · et meeleavaldus (public display of group opinion) · lb Demonstratioun (public display of group opinion) · lt demonstracija (public display of group opinion) · sq manifestim (public display of group opinion) · fi demo (event) · de Kundgebung (public display of group opinion) · hi निरूपण (act) · uk демонстра́ція (act) · mi porotēhi (public display of group opinion) · eo demonstracio (act) · gd soilleireachadh (act) · bg демонстра́ция (public display of group opinion) · pt mostra (public display of group opinion) · is mótmælaaðgerðir (public display of group opinion) · tr protesto (public display of group opinion) · ca manifestació (public display of group opinion) · eo manifestacio (public display of group opinion) · pl demonstracja (public display of group opinion) · pt demonstração (public display of group opinion) · id unjuk rasa (public display of group opinion) · ur مُظاہَرَہ (public display of group opinion) · ka მიტინგი (public display of group opinion) · tg тазоҳурот (public display of group opinion) · fr démonstration (mathematical proof) · ru манифеста́ция (public display of group opinion)