denounce
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to condemn or censure openly or publicly.
to denounce a politician as morally corrupt.
- Synonyms:
- brand, blame, stigmatize, attack
-
to make a formal accusation against, as to the police or in a court.
-
to give formal notice of the termination or denial of (a treaty, pact, agreement, or the like).
-
Archaic. to announce or proclaim, especially as something evil or calamitous.
-
Obsolete. to portend.
verb
-
to deplore or condemn openly or vehemently
-
to give information against; accuse
-
to announce formally the termination of (a treaty, etc)
-
obsolete
-
to announce (something evil)
-
to portend
-
Other Word Forms
- denouncement noun
- denouncer noun
- undenounced adjective
Etymology
Origin of denounce
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English denouncen, from Old French denoncier “to speak out,” from Latin dēnuntiāre “to threaten,” literally, “to announce from,” from dē- de- + nuntiāre “to announce” (derivative of nuntius “messenger”)
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.
The decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title is "abject" and "we have to denounce it" a senior figure at African football's governing body has said.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
"It's more comfortable for me because I know that I will not betray myself and not denounce myself."
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
Minnesotans have been braving the below-freezing cold to show up for protests and denounce the violence in their communities for weeks.
From Salon • Jan. 26, 2026
Two days later, Rep. John McCormack echoed that statement, using the exact same words to denounce the reforms.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026
She doesn’t say a word and I wonder if she’s going to the post office to denounce me for sleeping in my grandmother’s bed and wearing her black dress.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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.
