What does remonstration mean?
A remonstration is a formal protest or objection, especially one addressed to an authority or to the person responsible for an action. The word conveys seriousness and restraint rather than casual complaint: a remonstration may be written, diplomatic, legal, or institutional, and it usually asks someone to acknowledge an error, explain a decision, or reconsider a course of action. For example, a government may issue a remonstration over an incident abroad, while a committee may make a remonstration against a policy it considers unfair. The term is more common in formal and historical writing than in ordinary conversation, where protest, objection, or complaint are more natural. Its Latin roots, through remonstrare, mean “to show” or “make known,” reflecting the idea of formally bringing an objection to another party’s attention.
nounA formal protest or objection made to someone, especially one that seeks to correct a perceived wrong. It refers to the act of remonstrating or to the words by which such an objection is expressed.
- A formal protest, objection, or appeal made against an action, decision, or treatment.
- The act or practice of making such an objection.
"The committee issued a formal remonstration against the proposed changes."
"The ambassador submitted a remonstration concerning the restrictions on diplomatic travel."
"Her remonstration was restrained but unmistakably angry."
The plural is regular and used when referring to multiple formal objections or protests.
"Several remonstrations were submitted before the inquiry began."
From the Latin remonstrare, meaning “to show” or “make known,” a remonstration is a formal way of making your objection known.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does remonstration come from?
Remonstration comes from Latin remonstratio, a noun derived from remonstrare, “to show” or “make known.” The prefix re- and the verb monstrare gave the word its sense of presenting a matter or complaint openly, and English adopted the form in the 16th century. The related English words remonstrate and remonstrance preserve the same formal sense of expressing a serious objection.
Related word forms
How remonstration is actually used
This is a formal word, common in legal, diplomatic, historical, and institutional contexts. It is more typical of written or official language than of everyday speech; the North American pronunciation is often /rɪˌmɑːnˈstreɪʃən/.
Easily confused with remonstration
A remonstrance is the formal objection or protest itself, whereas a remonstration can refer more broadly to the act of making such an objection.