Quod erat demonstrandum is Latin for "which was to be demonstrated." Often abbreviated as Q.E.D., the statement may appear at the conclusion of a text to signify that the author's overall argument has just been proven.
See, e.g. Stupak-Thrall v. U.S., 89 F.3d 1269, 1299 (6th Cir. 1996) - “Riparian rights are not mineral rights and therefore should not be protected from Forest Service regulation. Quod erat demonstrandum.”
See also: Law Latin
[Last updated in August of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]