declare
Americanverb (used with object)
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declares,
present (3rd person singular)
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declared,
past participle, past
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declaring
present participle
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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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declares,
present (3rd person singular)
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declared,
past participle, past
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declaring
present participle
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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:
The Fuego volcano, located between the Escuintla, Chimaltenango, and Sacatepéquez regions, registered an increase in its activity on Monday, prompting Guatemalan authorities to declare an "orange alert" - the second highest emergency.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
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
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
It is this that underlies his decision to declare war on ‘false rumour and the opinions of some, based on unreliable and untrustworthy foundations’.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
"Tragedy on beach trip" declares the Daily Mirror after a teenage girl and her mother drowned at a beach in Essex in a bid to rescue their seven-year-old relative.
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
"Cost of living, cost of living, cost of living," declares the i Paper, reporting that Burnham has told his cabinet to find ways to "cut UK prices and offer hope".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I come from a murderer,” Maddox tearfully declares to a therapist in the opening minutes of the film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
It arrives on the planetary stage following four and a half billion years of other acts, and after looking about for a few thousand years declares itself in possession of eternal truths.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
A fourth heatwave of the year is affecting parts of the UK, with a drought declared across large parts of England and the whole of Wales.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Three weeks ago, part of the beautiful century-old structure collapsed, and it was declared uninhabitable.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency Saturday as the state contends with ongoing drought.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Assuming the third-party driver’s insurance company accepts responsibility, the insurer would normally pay the “actual cash value” of your car if it’s declared a total loss.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 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
He posed for photos with supporters, who wore buttons declaring him “the people’s candidate.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Huge forest fires in south-west France and central Spain have displaced more than 220,000 people, with the French military drafted in to help and the Spanish government declaring a national emergency.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
He praised the Secret Service officers and law enforcement personnel who responded that night, calling the attack “an assault on our democracy itself” and declaring that “we do not yield to political violence.”
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
He has spent his entire career cultivating a reputation as the sport’s most notorious pest, once proudly declaring, “I’m trying to make them hate me.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
I’ll offer, and she doubles over, pink-faced, declaring me de trop.
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.
