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Synonyms

declare

American

[dih-klair] / dɪˈklɛər /

verb (used with object)

to make known or state clearly, especially in explicit or formal terms.

to declare one's position in a controversy.
to announce officially; proclaim.

to declare a state of emergency; to declare a winner.
to state emphatically.

He declared that the allegation was a lie.

Synonyms:

state, asseverate, aver

Antonyms:

deny
to manifest; reveal; show.

Her attendance at the rally declared her political allegiance.

Synonyms:

publish, disclose
to make due statement of, especially goods for duty or income for taxation.
to make (a dividend) payable.
Bridge. to bid (a trump suit or no-trump).

verb (used without object)

to make a declaration.
to proclaim oneself (usually followed by for oragainst ).

He declared against the proposal.
Cricket. (of a team) to surrender a turn at bat in an innings before ten players are put out.

declare British

/ dɪˈklɛə /

verb

(may take a clause as object) to make clearly known or announce officially

to declare one's interests
war was declared
to state officially that (a person, fact, etc) is as specified

he declared him fit
(may take a clause as object) to state emphatically; assert
to show, reveal, or manifest

the heavens declare the glory of God
(intr; often foll by for or against) to make known one's choice or opinion
to make a complete statement of (dutiable goods, etc)
(also intr) cards
1. to display (a card or series of ards) on the table so as to add to one's score
2. to decide (the trump suit) by making the final bid
(intr) cricket to close an innings voluntarily before all ten wickets have fallen
to authorize the payment of (a dividend) from corporate net profit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Declare, affirm, assert, protest imply making something known emphatically, openly, or formally. To declare is to make known, sometimes in the face of actual or potential contradiction: to declare someone the winner of a contest. To affirm is to make a statement based on one's reputation for knowledge or veracity, or so related to a generally recognized truth that denial is not likely: to affirm the necessity of high standards. To assert is to state boldly, usually without other proof than personal authority or conviction: to assert that the climate is changing. To protest is to affirm publicly, as if in the face of doubt: to protest that a newspaper account is misleading.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of declare

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English declaren, from Latin dēclārāre “to announce, make evident, reveal,” from dē- de- + clārāre “to make clear” (from clārus clear )

Explanation

If you declare victory, you are ending a war by saying you have won. Hopefully, the other side agrees, or your troops might declare you a fool. To declare is to state clearly and officially. In elections, the government body that counts the votes declares the winner. Until the declaration is made, the results are not official. When you are traveling, you might be asked if you have anything to declare. You're not being asked for a statement of your beliefs, rather they want to know if you bought anything taxable abroad. If you hear your grandmother say, "Well, I declare!" you can be sure she is shocked and offended.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

declare declares declared declaring

Scotland does not declare drought but monitors "water scarcity".

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The plaintiffs asked the court to declare the surveillance policy unlawful, vacate it and prohibit Homeland Security from continuing to collect and maintain records describing individuals’ protected First Amendment activities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

No authors declare a related conflict of interest under Johns Hopkins University policies.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026

Indonesia should "declare the freedom of all ata people from their maramba masters," added Andreas Harsono, of Human Rights Watch Indonesia.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

He would come back with a signed document that would declare the war over, that would proclaim a free Biafra.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“Far more important than where a team works is how it works,” he declares.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

“I come from a murderer,” Maddox tearfully declares to a therapist in the opening minutes of the film.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

"There's only one No 10" declares the Star, calling on England to "back Jude and the lads" in the semi-final on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

"Replanned of god" declares the Sun, with a photograph of Mexico City's Azteca Stadium splashed across the paper's front page.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Board of Education of Topeka, declares that racial segregation in schools is unconstitutional.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

A fourth heatwave of the year is affecting parts of the UK, with a drought declared across large parts of England and the whole of Wales.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and requested federal assistance to help contain the blazes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Ferguson declared a state of emergency on August 1, citing drought conditions that have stretched four consecutive years, unusually high temperatures and high winds exacerbating record-setting wildfires.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

Assuming the third-party driver’s insurance company accepts responsibility, the insurer would normally pay the “actual cash value” of your car if it’s declared a total loss.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

“I love you,” the writing on the postcard declared.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

“Brutal and oblivious to the administrative needs of an empire,” Commodus was obsessed with gladiatorial combat, declaring himself “Hercules on Earth.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Separately, more than 2,000 people are facing potential trial for protesting against the ban by declaring their support for a proscribed terrorism group in mass demonstrations.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

He posed for photos with supporters, who wore buttons declaring him “the people’s candidate.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

But being even modestly above average is still a far cry from declaring that August is a losing month for the stock market.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Stassen leaped into his job with characteristic energy, declaring that he would assemble a supporting staff of “experienced men with brilliant analytical minds” to review American disarmament strategy from top to bottom.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023