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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing declare

"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 4

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Beowulf vocabulary

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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

In some instances, contracts have been changed to declare that the centers are simply not subject to certain local or state laws.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

As the AI race goes on, it’s still far too early to declare winners and losers.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

He has long maintained he sought legal advice about whether he needed to declare the money and had been told he didn't.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Bright white flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have been installed this week across the capital Kabul, where new murals declare: "Independence is a sign of dignity, pride and identity".

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Friends urged Anthony to declare bankruptcy, but she refused.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Instead, she stands up, pops her dislocated shoulder back into its socket and grimly declares to the shocked classmate filming her, “This is Claire Bennet, and that was attempt No. 6.”

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Rebecca Onion declares that in a crowded field of summer romance series, this is the one that will stand the test of time.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

The front page also carries a photograph of aerial firefighting in southern France, noting that wildfires are ravaging a "sweltering Europe" as the first part of the UK declares drought.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

“So, I decided to run for class president,” Soojin declares confidently, and then peers at me, waiting for my reaction.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Five years later, New Yorker columnist Kyle Chayka declared “the social-media Web as we knew it . . . appears to be over.”

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

Three boats arrived during the night from Kisangani -- a major river city in the northeast where about 15 Ebola cases have been recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

According to a report from Greenville, S.C., police, Zach was “very emotional” as paramedics attempted to revive Panettiere, and Brian “did not become emotional” until paramedics declared that she was dead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

He annulled her royal title; declared their only child, Elizabeth, illegitimate; and damned her memory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

“Oh, yes,” Handsome declared, now getting carried away with his show of gratitude.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Paz succeeded in quelling the unrest by declaring a state of emergency in June.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

That year, Liang spun out DeepSeek from his hedge fund, declaring the same goal as Tang’s: humanlike intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

In July about 200 acres of land was affected by wildfires with North Wales Fire and Rescue Service declaring it a major incident.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

So after reading what felt like the hundredth article declaring that my generation had abandoned alcohol, nightlife and socializing altogether, I started wondering whether I was missing something.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

Nobody wanted to stay behind in the movie theater, not even Riccio, although on the entire journey he kept declaring how horrible he thought it was that they were spying on Scipio.

From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke

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