proclamation

American  

[prok-luh-may-shuhn] / ˌprɒk ləˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

• proclamations
  plural

1. 

   something that is proclaimed; a public and official announcement.

2. the act of proclaiming.

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Usage

What does proclamation mean? A proclamation is an official announcement made in public. Proclamation is the noun form of the verb proclaim, meaning to announce or declare something in an official or formal manner. Proclamations are typically made by public officials. Like the similar word announcement, proclamation is often used with the verb make. Example: The mayor called a press conference to issue a proclamation declaring an official citywide day of celebration for the new champions of baseball.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reproclamation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• proclamations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of proclamation

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English proclamacioun (from Middle French proclamacion, ) from Latin prōclāmātiōn- (stem of prōclāmātiō ), equivalent to prōclāmāt(us) (past participle of prōclāmāre “to cry out, proclaim ”) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

A proclamation is a formal public statement. If the mayor of your town issued a proclamation honoring the state champion field hockey team, this is an official statement of praise and celebration. A major statement made in front of an audience or the authoritative word on some subject is a proclamation. It's usually used in an official or government context, although an ordinary person can also make a proclamation, like your proclamation that you'll never dance again after your embarrassment at last week's hip hop recital. The root is proclaim, declare publicly, though the i is dropped in proclamation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

proclamation proclamations

In case you’re wondering, 20 years after his proclamation of Sondheimer as the GOAT, Suppan stands by his statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

The proclamation also authorizes the commerce secretary to establish an onshoring program for companies making new investments in manufacturing drones and drone components, in line with the administration’s push to bolster national defense industries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

After the result was declared on Friday, his party appealed against the electoral court's proclamation, calling for the vote to be nullified.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Hathaway’s gospel-infused arrangement and call-and-response with a crowd at the Troubadour transformed Carole King’s song from a private promise into a proclamation of Black resilience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Before the Town House, Colonel Nesbit ordered a halt, and an orderly came forward and read a proclamation.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Even before the GPT-2 paper, A.I. insiders have been issuing apocalyptic, god-in-the-machine proclamations about this software, professing fears that observers rarely followed up on and that almost never lived up to scrutiny.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026

The tariff changes will take effect Sept. 15, according to proclamations posted on the White House website, while the trade prohibitions are set to kick in on Sept. 29.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

She's given to grand proclamations like "I'm unstoppable", or "I will exist in multitudes".

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Around Angel’s old barber chair, just about every inch of wall space is occupied by proclamations and photos.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

Moreover, he was not cut out for all the ceremonial obligations: “I hate speeches, messages, addresses and answers, proclamations, and such affected, studied, contraband things,” he wrote sulkily to Abigail.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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Related Words

• decree
• edict
• manifesto
• notification
• promulgation
• pronouncement
• publication

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