declare
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make known or state clearly, especially in explicit or formal terms.
to declare one's position in a controversy.
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to announce officially; proclaim.
to declare a state of emergency; to declare a winner.
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to state emphatically.
He declared that the allegation was a lie.
- Synonyms:
- state , asseverate , aver
- Antonyms:
- deny
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to manifest; reveal; show.
Her attendance at the rally declared her political allegiance.
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to make due statement of, especially goods for duty or income for taxation.
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to make (a dividend) payable.
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Bridge. to bid (a trump suit or no-trump).
verb (used without object)
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to make a declaration.
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to proclaim oneself (usually followed by for oragainst ).
He declared against the proposal.
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Cricket. (of a team) to surrender a turn at bat in an innings before ten players are put out.
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to make clearly known or announce officially
to declare one's interests
war was declared
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to state officially that (a person, fact, etc) is as specified
he declared him fit
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(may take a clause as object) to state emphatically; assert
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to show, reveal, or manifest
the heavens declare the glory of God
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(intr; often foll by for or against) to make known one's choice or opinion
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to make a complete statement of (dutiable goods, etc)
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(also intr) cards
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to display (a card or series of ards) on the table so as to add to one's score
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to decide (the trump suit) by making the final bid
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(intr) cricket to close an innings voluntarily before all ten wickets have fallen
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to authorize the payment of (a dividend) from corporate net profit
Related Words
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
- declarable adjective
- misdeclare verb
- predeclare verb (used with object)
- redeclare verb (used with object)
- undeclarable adjective
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 )
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.
But an audacious museum expressly designed to present, collect, preserve and interpret the art of our time, as its mission statement declares, set a standard that has been emulated across the country and abroad.
From Los Angeles Times
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday declared an end to the latest outbreak of Ebola, which has caused at least 34 deaths since August.
From Barron's
Coach Foster told him not to do interviews, so as not to declare an allegiance to England or Australia.
From BBC
Prabowo has come under increasing pressure to declare a national emergency in response to flooding and landslides that have killed at least 442 people, with hundreds more missing.
From Barron's
Cambridge Dictionary has declared parasocial its word of 2025, which it defined as a relationship felt by someone between themselves and a famous person they do not know.
From BBC
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.
