'remonstrant' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'remonstrare', where 're-' meant 'again' and 'monstrare' meant 'to show'.

'remonstrant' came via Late Latin 'remonstrans' (the present participle of 'remonstrare'), passed through Old French forms such as 'remonstrer'/'remonstrant', and entered Middle and then modern English as 'remonstrant'.

Initially it related to 'showing or pointing out again' (from 'remonstrare'), but over time it specialized to mean 'to protest or object' and by extension 'a person who protests'.