declare

verb de·clare \ di-ˈkler \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of declare

declared; declaring

transitive verb

1 a : to make known formally, officially, or explicitly

publicly declared her opposition to the plan

b : to make known as a determination

The judge declared the defendant fit to stand trial.

She was declared the rightful heir to the throne.

2 obsolete : to make clear

3 : to make evident : show

a glimpse of his head in outline … declared his present state of mind
—Osbert Sitwell

4 : to state emphatically : affirm

declares his innocence

"You are quite a quiz, I do declare!"
—Charles Dickens

5 : to make a full statement of (one's taxable or dutiable property)

Large purchases must be declared at customs.

6 in card games

a : to make a bid or announcement naming (a trump suit or no-trump)

b : meld

7 : to make payable

declare a dividend

intransitive verb

1 : to make a declaration

poetry … evokes rather than merely declares
—C. S. Kilby

2 : to avow one's opinion or support

declaring for or against a candidate

3 : to announce one's intentions (as to run for political office)

declared for mayor

—

declarable

play \-ˈkler-ə-bəl\ adjective

See declare defined for English-language learners

See declare defined for kids

Examples of declare in a Sentence

The government has just declared a state of emergency.
He openly declared his love for her.
They failed to declare all of their earnings on their tax return.
Large purchases must be declared at customs.
Do you have anything to declare?

Recent Examples of declare from the Web

Others have declared that the film falls short, while still more are concerned with Tully’s treatment of maternal mental illness.

— jen gann, The Cut, "The Most ‘Real’ Scene in Tully Isn’t About Horrific Motherhood," 8 May 2018
Police have declared an all clear after about 100 people were evacuated in Northeast Kansas City Monday afternoon, following reports that an apartment may have been booby-trapped.

— glenn e. rice and tony rizzo, kansascity, "All clear given after Kansas City booby-trap scare prompts evacuations | The Kansas City Star," 7 May 2018
In the International Shoppes bankruptcy, Mathin had declared $20 million in debts and $6.7 million in assets.

— paul brinkmann, OrlandoSentinel.com, "iSquare developer settles foreclosure dispute, for now," 7 May 2018
The Chinese Mountaineering Association, which oversees Shishapangma, the only 8,000-meter peak located fully within Tibet, has officially declared Petrov missing.

— alan arnette, Outside Online, "Bulgarian Mountaineer Missing at 24,000 Feet in Tibet," 7 May 2018
The leaders of North and South have declared an era of peace.

— andrew jeong, WSJ, "U.S. Troops in South Korea Emerge as Potential Bargaining Chip," 6 May 2018
Days before the meeting Mr Kim had declared an end to his testing of long-range missiles and the closure of his nuclear test site at Punggye-ri in the north of the country.

— The Economist, "An outbreak of summitry is a relief for South Koreans," 5 May 2018
In March of 1992, nearly two years before Huebner published his story, the city had declared the site at Randolph and Desplaines a historic landmark site, but there was still nothing, not even a plaque, to mark the spot.

— aimee levitt, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / History / Politics Remembering the Haymarket Affair and the city's attempts to forget it," 1 May 2018
Nearly half of Michigan's population — more than 4.7 million people — live in areas with unacceptable smog levels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared.

— keith matheny, Detroit Free Press, "Metro Detroit, other Michigan cities violating tighter ozone rules," 1 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'declare.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of declare

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French declarer, from Latin declarare, from de- + clarare to make visible, from clarus clear — more at clear

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

declare Synonyms

Phrases

put forth;

Synonym Discussion of declare

declare, announce, proclaim, promulgate mean to make known publicly. declare implies explicitness and usually formality in making known.

- the referee declared the contest a draw

announce implies the declaration of something for the first time.

- announced their engagement at a party

proclaim implies declaring clearly, forcefully, and authoritatively.

- the president proclaimed a national day of mourning

promulgate implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law.

- promulgated an edict of religious toleration

synonyms see in addition assert

DECLARE Defined for English Language Learners

declare

verb

Definition of declare for English Language Learners

: to say or state (something) in an official or public way
: to say (something) in a strong and confident way
: to tell the government about (money you have earned or received) in order to pay taxes

DECLARE Defined for Kids

declare

verb de·clare \ di-ˈkler \

Definition of declare for Students

declared; declaring

1 : to make known in a clear or formal way

The judges declared the race a tie.

2 : to state as if certain

“I look and smell,” Aunt Sponge declared, “as lovely as a rose!”
—Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach

Synonym Discussion of declare

declare, announce, and advertise mean to make known to the public. declare is used of something that is said very clearly and often in a formal manner.