Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Demonstration has 6 different meanings across 1 category:
a show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view
"the presentation of new data"
"he gave the customer a demonstration"
a show of military force or preparedness
"he confused the enemy with feints and demonstrations"
a public display of group feelings (usually of a political nature)
"there were violent demonstrations against the war"
proof by a process of argument or a series of proposition proving an asserted conclusion
"The mathematician's demonstration provided irrefutable proof that the sum of angles in any triangle equals 180 degrees."
a visual presentation showing how something works
"the lecture was accompanied by dramatic demonstrations"
"the lecturer shot off a pistol as a demonstration of the startle response"
The act of demonstrating; showing or explaining something.
"The teacher's demonstration showed exactly how to assemble the puzzle piece by piece."
In plain English: A demonstration is when people show something by doing it instead of just talking about it.
"Thousands of people gathered in the city center for a peaceful demonstration about climate change."
Usage: Use this noun to describe either an organized public protest displaying collective opinion or the clear display and explanation of how something works. Choose it over similar terms like "exhibition" when emphasizing active proof rather than passive viewing, but avoid using it as a verb in formal writing where "demonstrate" is preferred for clarity.
The word "demonstration" entered English through Middle French and Latin as a noun form of the verb to show or explain. It originally carried the meaning of making something visible, which remains its core sense today.