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
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
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misdeclareverb
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predeclareverb (used with object)
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redeclareverb (used with object)
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declarableadjective
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undeclarableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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declaresimple
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declaressimple
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have declaredperfect
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has declaredperfect
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am declaringprogressive
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are declaringprogressive
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is declaringprogressive
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have been declaringperfect progressive
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has been declaringperfect progressive
Past
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declaredsimple
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had declaredperfect
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was declaringprogressive
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were declaringprogressive
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had been declaringperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing declare
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 4
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
Tax authorities this year have reminded nationals to declare overseas income and noted China’s involvement in the Common Reporting Standard, an information-sharing system among global tax bodies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Nethy Bridge residents said there had not been enough communication from the government about the wildfire, and also criticised the time that was taken to declare it a major incident.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
So I am a bit bewildered as pundits declare that the success of “The Odyssey” reflects some larger theme about what film audiences want.
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
“I’m sure Grandma is already planning a big celebration for your return. A parade. A party. She may declare it a holiday.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
“Far more important than where a team works is how it works,” he declares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
"It starts now" declares the Daily Mirror, writing that Burnham will "hit the ground running" with immediate measures to help struggling families.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
In its focus track, “Me Vale V,” the singer firmly declares he is manifesting his dreams and not paying anyone else mind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 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
Smiling, arms crossed over his chest like a genie, Coach declares, “We’re ready for a meet.”
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
In 2011, a solar energy manufacturer named Solyndra declared bankruptcy.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
On Friday, Spain for the first time ever declared a national emergency because of the wildfires, allowing the central government to take the lead in emergency efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Last fall resulted in lots of controversy as numerous players were declared ineligible for falsifying paperwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
The fire was declared a major incident on Friday, but Nethy Bridge community council leader Sandy McCook said they had been calling for that "for over a week now".
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Freedom has many difficulties,” he declared, “and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in.”
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
The paper also reports that thousands of holidaymakers are facing huge queues at Europe's ports, with blazes in south-west France forcing the evacuation of more than 40,000 people and Spain declaring a national emergency.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 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
When we decided to wade into one of the most heated debates in sports by declaring England vs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
For two years, after losing a landmark defamation case filed by the Sandy Hook families and declaring bankruptcy, Jones has been battling the satirical news site the Onion for control of his website Infowars.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
How it started was her declaring she was going hunting with her little bow and arrow.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
