declaration

American  

[dek-luh-ray-shuhn] / ˌdɛk ləˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

• declarations
  plural

1. 

   the act of declaring; announcement.

   a declaration of a dividend.

2. a positive, explicit, or formal statement; proclamation.

   a declaration of war.

3. something that is announced, avowed, or proclaimed.

4. a document embodying or displaying an announcement or proclamation.

   He posted the declaration in a public place.

   Synonyms:

   edict, manifesto, bulletin, notice

5. Law.

   1. a formal statement presenting the plaintiff's claim in an action.

   2. a complaint.

   3. a statement, especially by a witness.

   4. a statement made to an official.

6. Cards.

   1. Bridge. a bid, especially the successful bid.

   2. the statement during the game of the points earned by a player, in bezique or other games.

7. a statement of goods, income, etc., especially for the assessment of duty, tax, or the like.

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declaration British  

/ ˌdɛkləˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. an explicit or emphatic statement

2. a formal statement or announcement; proclamation

3. the act of declaring

4. the ruling of a judge or court on a question of law, esp in the chancery division of the High Court

5. law an unsworn statement of a witness admissible in evidence under certain conditions See also statutory declaration

6. cricket the voluntary closure of an innings before all ten wickets have fallen

7. contract bridge the final contract

8. a statement or inventory of goods, etc, submitted for tax assessment

   a customs declaration

9. cards an announcement of points made after taking a trick, as in bezique

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterdeclaration
  noun
• nondeclaration
  noun
• predeclaration
  noun
• redeclaration
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• declarations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of declaration

1300–50; Middle English declaracioun (< Anglo-French ) < Latin dēclārātiōn- (stem of dēclārātiō ) explanation, equivalent to dēclārāt ( us ) (past participle of dēclārāre to explain, declare; see -ate ¹) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

An emphatic statement — either written or spoken — is called a declaration. The Continental Congress announced their intention to form a new nation when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. To declare is a verb, but when you add the suffix tion, you transform it to a noun. A formal public statement can be called a declaration. You would be making a formal declaration of your love, if you paid to have "I Love You, Alex" put on the big screen at the game. When you travel, you may need to make a declaration — a formal statement — about any taxable items you purchased outside the country when you return.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

declaration declarations

He soon formalized the declaration of war and the war’s objectives in a meeting with the security cabinet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

After one encounter, a woman began using a Facebook group to warn others about Weinberg’s alleged behavior, according to a declaration filed in family court in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Yet the speech was not a declaration that diplomacy has failed.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Due to the uncertainties, the politicians make no specific declaration.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

I am making that declaration even though my sample size is still very small.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Four student members submitted declarations but are not individual plaintiffs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Both women went through "intense" vetting and were required to read and sign declarations stating that they had no contacts who were "engaged in criminal activities", the court heard.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

A tool to collect data independently, rather than relying solely on companies' own declarations, is under development, Lefevre's office said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

Others use fixed thresholds, historical rarity, physical damage, economic losses or emergency declarations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

The suffragists would still carry protest banners, but they would also burn copies of President Wilson’s speeches in front of the White House, symbolically destroying his declarations of democracy.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling