proclaim
Americanverb (used with object)
-
proclaims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
proclaimed,
past participle, past
-
proclaiming
present participle
-
to announce or declare in an official or formal manner.
to proclaim war.
- Synonyms:
- advertise
-
to announce or declare in an open or ostentatious way.
to proclaim one's opinions.
- Synonyms:
- promulgate
-
to indicate or make known publicly or openly.
-
to extol or praise publicly.
Let them proclaim the Lord.
-
to declare (a territory, district, etc.) subject to particular legal restrictions.
-
to declare to be an outlaw, evildoer, or the like.
-
to denounce or prohibit publicly.
verb (used without object)
-
proclaims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
proclaimed,
past participle, past
-
proclaiming
present participle
verb
-
(may take a clause as object) to announce publicly
-
(may take a clause as object) to show or indicate plainly
-
to praise or extol
Synonym Usage
See announce.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
proclaimernoun
-
proclamationnoun
-
reproclaimverb (used with object)
-
proclamatoryadjective
-
self-proclaimedadjective
-
self-proclaimingadjective
-
unproclaimedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
proclaimsimple
-
proclaimssimple
-
have proclaimedperfect
-
has proclaimedperfect
-
am proclaimingprogressive
-
are proclaimingprogressive
-
is proclaimingprogressive
-
have been proclaimingperfect progressive
-
has been proclaimingperfect progressive
Past
-
proclaimedsimple
-
had proclaimedperfect
-
was proclaimingprogressive
-
were proclaimingprogressive
-
had been proclaimingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of proclaim
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin prōclāmāre “to cry out”; equivalent to pro- 1 + claim
Explanation
"I proclaim the Olympic Games open." Every two years with words similar to these, the Olympic games officially begin. To proclaim is to exclaim or declare. When you proclaim something, you are saying it loud and clear and in public. A doctor can proclaim you healthy after you have recovered from a long illness. The panel of judges may have trouble proclaiming the winner in a very tight race. What you are saying out loud can be called a proclamation. Proclamations were once only made by Kings or other ruling leaders which is why the word proclaim has an official feeling to it.
Vocabulary lists containing proclaim
Power Prefix: pro
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!
Words That Could Go Either Way: Synonyms for "Maybe"
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!
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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:
Instead, the regulator’s mission is to “protect investors and safeguard the integrity of our vibrant capital markets to ensure that everyone can invest with confidence,” as its website and annual report proclaim.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
"We are here to proclaim Luque's innocence, not with television slogans, but with the evidence that supports it," Rallin said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison can proclaim victory after settling a lawsuit with state attorneys general that held up his company’s merger with Warner Bros.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The rapid advances in AI spurred some industry leaders to proclaim that machine intelligence would wipe out millions of jobs almost overnight.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
I need a watchman to go forth and proclaim to them all that twenty- six years is too long to play a joke on anybody, no matter how funny it is.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
You also have another series, called The Best of AI: Animation, that calls its entries “human in spirit” and proclaims that “another cinematic language is being written right now.”
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
Above downtown's historic Lamplight Theatre, a sign proclaims "Jesus first in all things".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
The old parchment proclaims we are all equal, free, and deserve a shot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
He stands up in the synagogue in Nazareth and proclaims release for the captive, sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
The sign proclaims something called the Ice Garden, and Celia smiles at the addendum below which contains an apology for any thermal inconvenience.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
The protest organising committee, which calls itself SADAR, meaning "aware" in Bahasa Indonesia, said the action was meant to mark a "revolution that is being proclaimed".
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
It began to unfold decades ago, well before Francis Fukuyama proclaimed the “end of history.”
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
"The kids are not learning their math facts because they're becoming calculator hooked," he proclaimed.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“We’re Live Nation; we cannot make a movie where the festival looks fake,” executive Ryan Kroft proclaimed about the specific drive toward authenticity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Just inside the front cover, spidery handwriting proclaimed, “This book belongs to me, Lilian Willis.”
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
The married man contacts her years after a chance meeting at a party, proclaiming himself a fan of her writing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
"It's a serious storm," Governor Josh Green said, proclaiming a state of emergency to ensure the state and its counties "have sufficient resources to clear debris, secure infrastructure, and take other measures to prepare."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
But Platner has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, proclaiming himself a changed man.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Black-clad Turkish police on street corners, giant blue banners proclaiming "The Key to Peace" and a ceremonial welcome for Donald Trump.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Quentin and I did most of the talking, boisterously proclaiming how difficult the calculations were and describing how our rockets flew.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
