demonstrative
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See also: démonstrative
English
Etymology
From Middle English demonstratif, from Middle French démonstratif; equivalent to demonstrate + -ive.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /dɪˈmɒnstɹətɪv/, (nonstandard) /ˈdɛmənstɹeɪtɪv/
Audio (Southern England) (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /dɪˈmɑnstɹətɪv/, /dəˈmɑnstɹətɪv/, (nonstandard) /ˈdɛmənstɹeɪtɪv/
Adjective
demonstrative (comparative more demonstrative, superlative most demonstrative)
- that serves to demonstrate, show or prove
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, , London: Will Stansby , published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
- an argument necessary and demonstrative
- given to open displays of emotion
- 1783, Hugh Blair, Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres:
- demonstrative eloquence
- 1865, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, Wives and Daughters, Chapter III:
- He had rather a contempt for demonstrative people, arising from his medical insight into the consequences to health of uncontrolled feeling.
- (grammar) that specifies the thing or person referred to
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
that serves to demonstrate, show or prove
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given to open displays of emotion
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(grammar) that specifies the thing or person referred to
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See also
Noun
demonstrative (plural demonstratives)
- (grammar) A demonstrative word
Derived terms
Translations
demonstrative word
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demonstrative adjective — see demonstrative adjective
demonstrative pronoun — see demonstrative pronoun
German
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Adjective
demonstrative
- inflection of demonstrativ:
Latin
Adjective
dēmōnstrātīve
References
- “demonstrative”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- demonstrative in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.