demonstrare

Demonstrare is a Latin verb belonging to the first conjugation, generally translated as to show, to point out, or to demonstrate. The infinitive is demonstrare, and the standard set of principal parts is demonstrare, demonstravi, demonstratum, with the first-person present active indicative form demonstro. The verb appears across classical Latin texts in contexts ranging from rhetoric to mathematics, where it carries the sense of proving or making evident a point.

Grammatical features include its active voice and regular morphology for the first conjugation. It forms tenses and voices through the characteristic endings of Latin -are verbs. In passive constructions, it follows the expected passive endings, and it participates in subordinate clauses that introduce demonstrations or proofs. The noun demonstratio, derived from the same root, denotes a demonstration or proof in a mathematical, logical, or argumentative sense.

Usage and meaning in Latin cover a spectrum from simple “to show” or “to point out” to a more precise sense of “to demonstrate a proposition or argument.” In scientific and philosophical contexts, demonstrare often introduces a sequence of steps intended to establish a conclusion. The term also feeds into the broader Latin lexicon related to proof and evidence, such as demonstratio and demonstrativus (demonstrative in the sense of pointing out).

Legacy and cognates: The Latin demonstrare is the ancestor of the English verb demonstrate, through Old French démonstrer and French démontrer. In Romance languages, cognate verbs exist with related meanings: Italian dimostrare, Spanish demostrar, and Portuguese demonstrar. The related noun demonstration reflects the same lineage, widely used in mathematics, science, and rhetoric to denote a reasoned proof or a public showing.