All 3 Uses

demonstrate
in
In Cold Blood
(Edited)

When she began this letter, she intended that it should be a compassionate demonstration of Christian principles.
Chpt 2 *

demonstration = display
However few people can successfully demonstrate a principle in common ethics when their deliberation is festered with emotionalism.
Chpt 2

demonstrate = show or exhibit (how something works)
That he knew what he was doing and still went ahead with it is possibly the most clear-cut demonstration of this fact.
Chpt 4

demonstration = display or proof

Definitions:

(1) (demonstrate as in: It demonstrates my point.)
to show
The exact meaning of this sense of demonstrate can depend upon its context. For example:
- "I will demonstrate how to throw a Frisbee." -- show how to do something
- "I will demonstrate how much quicker the new computer is than the old one." -- show how something works
- "Her questioned demonstrated that she was listening and thinking deeply about what was said." -- showed to be true or proved
(2) (demonstrate as in: demonstrate to protest)
a public display supporting a cause -- usually joining with others in a political protest
(3) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)