denunciation
Americannoun
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an act or instance of denouncing; public censure or condemnation.
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an accusation of crime before a public prosecutor or tribunal.
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notice of the termination or the renouncement of an international agreement or part thereof.
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Archaic. warning of impending evil; threat.
noun
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open condemnation; censure; denouncing
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obsolete law a charge or accusation of crime made by an individual before a public prosecutor or tribunal
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a formal announcement of the termination of a treaty
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archaic an announcement in the form of an impending threat or warning
Other Word Forms
- nondenunciation noun
- overdenunciation noun
Etymology
Origin of denunciation
1540–50; < Latin dēnuntiātiōn- (stem of dēnuntiātiō ), equivalent to dēnuntiāt ( us ) ( denunciate ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A denunciation is a public reprimand in which you are told that you've done wrong. If you get caught skipping school, expect denunciation — by teachers, your principal, parents and maybe even your friends. When you harshly criticize someone or something in front of other people, it's a denunciation, like an opinion piece that appears in a newspaper. Sometimes denunciation has the meaning of telling on or exposing someone's misdeeds, like a juicy, book-length denunciation of a famous guitarist written by a former bandmate. The Latin root word is denuntiare, "to announce, proclaim, denounce, or command."
Vocabulary lists containing denunciation
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
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Wasn't Me: The Lingo of Laying Blame
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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.
The Canadian premier delivered a blistering denunciation of US global leadership at last week's World Economic Forum in Davos, earning a rare standing ovation and capturing global headlines.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Despite the gory images and strong denunciation of Mamdani, Dan Dow insists that he has no issues with the Muslim community in San Luis Obispo County, where he is the top prosecutor.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025
Cicero’s rhetoric would be echoed centuries later by Edmund Burke, who invoked Verres in his denunciation of Warren Hastings, the British governor general of India who was impeached for corruption in 1787.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025
Antisemitism is a real problem, and, as Mahdawi stated clearly in his denunciation of it, a few Gaza protesters unfortunately engaged in it.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2025
Ahead of his denunciation of Catiline, he was being fed information by the disgruntled mistress of one of Catiline’s coconspirators.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
