de·mon·stra·tive

(dĭ-mŏn′strə-tĭv)

adj.

1. Serving to manifest or prove.

2. Involving or characterized by demonstration.

3. Given to or marked by the open expression of emotion: an affectionate and demonstrative family.

4. Grammar Specifying or singling out the person or thing referred to: the demonstrative pronouns these and that.

n. Grammar

A demonstrative pronoun or adjective.

de·mon′stra·tive·ly adv.

de·mon′stra·tive·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

demonstrativeness - tending to express your feelings freely

emotionalism, emotionality - emotional nature or quality

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

He was too happy when she volunteered to kiss him to mind by what means he got her demonstrativeness. He discovered that she found Sundays at home tedious, so he went down to Herne Hill in the morning, met her at the end of the road, and went to church with her.

View in context

By then, all your parents' little gestures--the fervent cheering at soccer games, the weekend family excursions, the endless hugging--all that demonstrativeness had grown to feel suffocating and obligatory, as though your parents were acting out what they'd read in adoptive-parenting books, dotting their I's and crossing their T's.

Hands

Distinctive features of patients with hypertension were demonstrativeness and hyperthymity.

Medico-social and psychological aspects of cardiovascular diseases

The frequency of the appeal function led to the creation of those types of organizations that approach it by answering the phone calls of those who convey a "cry for help." The concept of appeal points to demonstrativeness traits in the personality of these subjects, who, often enough, are histrionic personalities.

Suicidology

This section will also explore how Adela's concept of "mass" as a symbolic force can work toward the demonstrativeness of Williams's narrative objectives.

Charles Williams's anti-modernist descent into hell

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.