English Reference

Word

demonstrate

Phoneticsdemon·strate

US/ˈdɛmənˌstɹeɪt/

UK/dˈɛmənstɹˌeɪt/

Definitions

01to prove or show clearly

B2

v. to show that something is true by giving proof or evidence.

v. to establish the validity of a proposition or theory through evidence or logical reasoning.

“The latest research results demonstrate that the new medicine is safe for children.”

“The study fails to demonstrate a significant correlation between the two variables, suggesting that further longitudinal research is required.”

Academic

Usage

Often takes a 'that' clause or a direct object.

Antonyms

02to show how to use

B2

v. to show someone how to do something or how a machine works.

v. to explain or illustrate by experiment, example, or practical application.

“The chef will demonstrate how to make the perfect pasta dough.”

“The technician spent the afternoon demonstrating the new software's capabilities to the administrative staff to ensure a smooth transition.”

Usage

Commonly used with 'how to'.

03to protest

B2

v. to join a large group of people in public to show you disagree with something.

v. to participate in a public meeting or march to express political views or protest against a specific issue.

“Thousands of students gathered in the city centre to demonstrate against the new law.”

“Citizens have the constitutional right to demonstrate peacefully, provided they do not obstruct the flow of essential traffic.”

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'against'.

Real-World Examples

“This study demonstrates that it is technically possible to directly shut down the major dog allergen in a living animal.”
Phys.org · 16 Aug 2026
“Not always, as demonstrated by this thought-provoking but ultimately not particularly revealing documentary about Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila.”
The Guardian · 11 Aug 2026

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēmonstrātus, the perfect passive participle of dēmonstrō (“to show, point at”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French démontrer.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Collocations

demonstrated a newdemonstrate their abilityanalysis demonstratedata demonstratedemonstrate associationdemonstrate benefitdemonstrate degreedemonstrate difference

Word family

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/demonstrate

English Reference