デモ

• Reading: デモ
• Romaji: demo
• Pronunciation: /de.mo/

Meaning

Demonstration; a public protest march or rally. Also short for a product demo.

A katakana noun borrowed from English 'demonstration,' with two main uses. The primary meaning is a protest or political demonstration: デモ行進 (demo koushin, protest march), デモに参加する (demo ni sanka suru, to participate in a demo). The secondary meaning is a product or software demonstration. Context usually makes the meaning clear.

Examples

1. 駅前でデモが行われていて道が混んでいた。 A demonstration was being held in front of the station, so the roads were crowded.
2. 新しいアプリのデモを見せてもらった。 I got to see a demo of the new app.
3. 学生たちが平和のためにデモに参加した。 Students participated in a demonstration for peace.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, technology, social movements

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Borrowed from English 'demonstration,' shortened to デモ. The abbreviation pattern is typical of Japanese loanword adaptation, similar to テレビ (terebi) from 'television.'

Cultural Context

Era: Post-war

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal