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Synonyms

declare

American

[dih-klair] / dɪˈklɛər /

verb (used with object)

to make known or state clearly, especially in explicit or formal terms.

to declare one's position in a controversy.
to announce officially; proclaim.

to declare a state of emergency; to declare a winner.
to state emphatically.

He declared that the allegation was a lie.

Synonyms:

state, asseverate, aver

Antonyms:

deny
to manifest; reveal; show.

Her attendance at the rally declared her political allegiance.

Synonyms:

publish, disclose
to make due statement of, especially goods for duty or income for taxation.
to make (a dividend) payable.
Bridge. to bid (a trump suit or no-trump).

verb (used without object)

to make a declaration.
to proclaim oneself (usually followed by for oragainst ).

He declared against the proposal.
Cricket. (of a team) to surrender a turn at bat in an innings before ten players are put out.

declare British

/ dɪˈklɛə /

verb

(may take a clause as object) to make clearly known or announce officially

to declare one's interests
war was declared
to state officially that (a person, fact, etc) is as specified

he declared him fit
(may take a clause as object) to state emphatically; assert
to show, reveal, or manifest

the heavens declare the glory of God
(intr; often foll by for or against) to make known one's choice or opinion
to make a complete statement of (dutiable goods, etc)
(also intr) cards
1. to display (a card or series of ards) on the table so as to add to one's score
2. to decide (the trump suit) by making the final bid
(intr) cricket to close an innings voluntarily before all ten wickets have fallen
to authorize the payment of (a dividend) from corporate net profit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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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:

declare declares declared declaring

As the AI race goes on, it’s still far too early to declare winners and losers.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Bright white flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have been installed this week across the capital Kabul, where new murals declare: "Independence is a sign of dignity, pride and identity".

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

This led Count Binface to declare he was "the winning candidate in the room".

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The title might declare itself concerned with the rivals of Amziah King, but they’re a red herring — this is really about the reign of Kateri.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Well, I do declare the bow tie was a fine decision,” she says, nodding in approval.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Rebecca Onion declares that in a crowded field of summer romance series, this is the one that will stand the test of time.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Those guys are true songsmiths,” the composer declares.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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

“Apartment rents skyrocket,” the front-page headline declares; they’ve leaped 20.5 percent in Minneapolis in the first three months of 2000 alone, an unprecedented increase, according to local real estate experts.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

By March, 1850, Scientific American declared: “Where the steamboat goes, there the wilderness disappears.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

A total of 2,325 people have been killed by the virus since it was declared on 15 May, surpassing the death toll of the country's 2018-2020 outbreak.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

It gives a rundown of the heat-related climate impacts on the UK, with "Britain on fire", "homes razed" and "drought declared".

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Google Search, which industry watchers previously declared dead due to the rise of conversational chatbots, was booming thanks to AI Overviews and AI Mode.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

“Have you declared exclusivity with either of them?”

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Quiñones defended his idea, repeatedly declaring: “The president wants this!”

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

The Summerland fire, which broke out Friday near Okanagan Lake, has spread rapidly and led to the evacuation of more than 20,000 people, with Canadian officials declaring a state of emergency.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

She said they also urged her to feature Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey declaring he wanted law enforcement to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, a statement that was never made.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

The report itself reinforces that impression, declaring that it “represents the position of the National Academies.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

The Whigs declaring that taxation without representation is tyranny.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023