demonstrative

C2+ Topic:Communication

US /dɪˈmɑnstrətɪv/ UK /dɪˈmɒnstrətɪv/ See IPA manual

adj noun

Meanings

1

adj
openly expressive of feelings; or a word pointing to a referent

He was warm but rarely demonstrative about his affections.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · openly expressive of... expressive effusive emotional unreserved open gushing

Opposites

reserved reticent undemonstrative restrained aloof

Word family

Forms demonstratively

Derived forms demonstrativelydemonstrativeness

Related forms demonstrate demonstration demonstrable

Etymology

From Old French demonstratif, from Latin demonstrativus, from demonstrare ('to point out, show'), from de- (intensive) plus monstrare ('to show').

demonstrativus Latin monstrare Latin

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Topics

Communication Word Formation & Derivatives

# demonstrative

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** dɪˈmɑnstrətɪv
**IPA (UK):** dɪˈmɒnstrətɪv

## Meanings
1. openly expressive of feelings; or a word pointing to a referent

## Examples
- He was warm but rarely demonstrative about his affections.

## Synonyms
- expressive
- effusive
- emotional
- unreserved
- open
- gushing

## Antonyms
- reserved
- reticent
- undemonstrative
- restrained
- aloof

## Derived Forms
- demonstratively
- demonstrativeness

## Related Forms
- demonstrate
- demonstration
- demonstrable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: demonstrativus
- Root: monstrare

## Etymology
From Old French demonstratif, from Latin demonstrativus, from demonstrare ('to point out, show'), from de- (intensive) plus monstrare ('to show').

## AI Etymology
Demonstrative is from Old French demonstratif, from Latin demonstrativus, from demonstrare ('to point out, show'), from de- (intensive) plus monstrare ('to show'). The ancestry passes through Latin demonstrativus and Latin monstrare. The prefix de- often marks removal, reversal, or downward motion in Latin formations, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as adjective and noun, it means "openly expressive of feelings; or a word pointing to a referent", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include demonstrate, demonstration, and demonstrable; derived forms include demonstratively and demonstrativeness.

## Topics
- Communication
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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demonstrative

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