proclaim
Americanverb (used with object)
-
proclaims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
proclaimed,
past participle, past
-
proclaiming
present participle
-
to announce or declare in an official or formal manner.
to proclaim war.
- Synonyms:
- advertise
-
to announce or declare in an open or ostentatious way.
to proclaim one's opinions.
- Synonyms:
- promulgate
-
to indicate or make known publicly or openly.
-
to extol or praise publicly.
Let them proclaim the Lord.
-
to declare (a territory, district, etc.) subject to particular legal restrictions.
-
to declare to be an outlaw, evildoer, or the like.
-
to denounce or prohibit publicly.
verb (used without object)
-
proclaims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
proclaimed,
past participle, past
-
proclaiming
present participle
verb
-
(may take a clause as object) to announce publicly
-
(may take a clause as object) to show or indicate plainly
-
to praise or extol
Synonym Usage
See announce.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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proclaimernoun
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proclamationnoun
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reproclaimverb (used with object)
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proclamatoryadjective
-
self-proclaimedadjective
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self-proclaimingadjective
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unproclaimedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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proclaimsimple
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proclaimssimple
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have proclaimedperfect
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has proclaimedperfect
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am proclaimingprogressive
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are proclaimingprogressive
-
is proclaimingprogressive
-
have been proclaimingperfect progressive
-
has been proclaimingperfect progressive
Past
-
proclaimedsimple
-
had proclaimedperfect
-
was proclaimingprogressive
-
were proclaimingprogressive
-
had been proclaimingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of proclaim
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin prōclāmāre “to cry out”; equivalent to pro- 1 + claim
Explanation
"I proclaim the Olympic Games open." Every two years with words similar to these, the Olympic games officially begin. To proclaim is to exclaim or declare. When you proclaim something, you are saying it loud and clear and in public. A doctor can proclaim you healthy after you have recovered from a long illness. The panel of judges may have trouble proclaiming the winner in a very tight race. What you are saying out loud can be called a proclamation. Proclamations were once only made by Kings or other ruling leaders which is why the word proclaim has an official feeling to it.
Vocabulary lists containing proclaim
Power Prefix: pro
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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:
The rapid advances in AI spurred some industry leaders to proclaim that machine intelligence would wipe out millions of jobs almost overnight.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
Middle East analysts interpreted the move as a signal that Hamas may be willing to engage, but cautioned that it was too early to proclaim progress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
After overcoming each temptation, he goes to Galilee to proclaim God’s word.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Letter Cresset External link April 16: Recent troubling private-credit headlines prompted market Cassandras to proclaim an incipient credit crisis.
From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026
I knew he had anointed me to preach the gospel, to bind up the brokenhearted, and to proclaim liberty to the captives.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
Abrams even has a song called The Knife, where she proclaims she'll live with a blade "in my side", as an act of defiance.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
“Lincoln was a feared wrestler who competed in hundreds of matches,” one such video proclaims.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
He stands up in the synagogue in Nazareth and proclaims release for the captive, sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
This unique story has been at the heart of Jewish identity ever since and the basis for Jews as more than a religion but rather a people that proudly proclaims, “Am Yisrael Chai.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
He proclaims to the slaves, “You’re free now!”
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
“You have every right to expect more from your city,” Raman proclaimed, her voice strong and clear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
For a company that has owned a pioneering AI lab since 2014 and has proclaimed itself “AI-first” since 2016, Google seems to have squandered an early lead, experts say.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
A “stunning loss,” the New York Times proclaimed on Wednesday.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
He won the ensuing civil war against Pompey, his former ally, and proclaimed himself dictator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“This is the same flag my husband, Mr. Hamline, carried into battle at Chicamauga,” Aunt Fanny proclaimed.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
"It's a serious storm," Governor Josh Green said, proclaiming a state of emergency to ensure the state and its counties "have sufficient resources to clear debris, secure infrastructure, and take other measures to prepare."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
But Platner has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, proclaiming himself a changed man.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Wearing T-shirts proclaiming "Victim exploitation does not equal victim advocacy", the parents of Gabby Petito have their own booth to promote their foundation, which supports missing persons cases and domestic violence prevention.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
And he was angry, berating Kingsley for giving Cretton a hard time and proclaiming how much he wanted to be in this new movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Even though she didn’t know how to read them, Taryn loved to shuffle, shuffle, shuffle and then make Ivy draw one, proclaiming whatever card Ivy held in her hand was her destiny.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
