What is the Latin word for demonstrate?

The usual Latin words for “demonstrate” are doceō, dēmōnstrō, firmō; also cōnfirmō, argūmentum, efficiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“demonstrate” in Latin

doceōto produce dēmōnstrōto show, demonstrate, prove; to point out; to draw attention to firmōto make firm, strengthen, harden, fortify; to say, affirm, assert; to reinforce the courage cōnfirmōto make firm, establish, re-establish, strengthen, fortify, mature, confirm; to encourage, animate, embolden; persuade; argūmentumargument (as in an argument for a position); evidence, a proof; a point, a theme; a topic, thesis efficiōto make out or work out; effect, execute, complete, accomplish, make, form, compose; to cause to occur, to bring about, vincōto win; to conquer, to defeat, to vanquish; to overpower ēvincōto overcome, conquer, subdue, vanquish; to prevail or succeed in; to demonstrate, show, evince; persuade coarguōto refute; to prove, demonstrate, show, establish, expose; to convict, prove guilty

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

demonstrate

docere: gravissimis argumentis docere: demonstrare (to prove fully, and by incontrovertible arguments): firmare; confirmare; especially with argumentis (to confirm by weighty arguments): probare alicui aliquid (to convince anybody of the possibility of anything; Vid: Herz., Caes., B.G., 1, 3): efficere (to make out by force of logical demonstration): vincere; vincere argumentis; evincere (to evince by irrefragable arguments, evincere rare; ☞ Cic., Ep., 2, 28, 4; vincere with accusative and infinitive; seldom hoc, ut, Hor.,: convincere, by irrefragable arguments: anything, aliquid: e.g., errores Epicuri; te nihil scire): coarguere (e.g., errorem, etc.): ☞ demonstrare does not, like the English “demonstrate,” imply irresistible force of argument. This is demonstrated by the fact, that, etc., ejus rei testimonium est, quod, etc.: this is difficult to demonstrate, hoc difficile est probatu: to be demonstrated, effectum esse: to consider it demonstrated, habere pro re comperta.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for demonstrate?: The usual Latin words for “demonstrate” are doceō, dēmōnstrō, firmō; also cōnfirmō, argūmentum, efficiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.