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
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proclaimernoun
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proclamationnoun
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reproclaimverb (used with object)
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proclamatoryadjective
-
self-proclaimedadjective
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self-proclaimingadjective
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unproclaimedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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proclaimsimple
-
proclaimssimple
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have proclaimedperfect
-
has proclaimedperfect
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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
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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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 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
“We are happy to right this wrong and proclaim ‘Blazing Saddles’ the funniest film of all time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
After overcoming each temptation, he goes to Galilee to proclaim God’s word.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Letter Cresset External link April 16: Recent troubling private-credit headlines prompted market Cassandras to proclaim an incipient credit crisis.
From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026
Just off Main Street, flanking an alley between two small parking lots, a pair of white wooden arches proclaim “Historic Downtown.”
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Abrams even has a song called The Knife, where she proclaims she'll live with a blade "in my side", as an act of defiance.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
“Lincoln was a feared wrestler who competed in hundreds of matches,” one such video proclaims.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 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
As Mama drops our samosas into the spattering oil, Elizabeth proclaims, “Hey! It’s a Pakistani knish!”
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
“It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done,” the president proclaimed.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
He won the ensuing civil war against Pompey, his former ally, and proclaimed himself dictator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
French artist Anne-Sophie Cochevelou, external, one of Kreitzman's mentees, was wearing gold platform shoes which she proudly proclaimed she could cycle there in.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
On March 20, 2025, he proclaimed a “manufacturing renaissance” in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
In the middle of the blades, a round brass boss proclaimed in curly script, Chicago’s Finest Wind Machine.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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
Among the best-selling swag: a T-shirt declaring “Big Tech Has No Soul” and hats proclaiming “Farmland Not Data Centers.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
And he remains focused on his mission, even proclaiming he is “building the world’s biggest media company.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
Luce’s hand was now proclaiming: Here she is.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
