declare

verb

de·clare | \di-ˈkler

declared; declaring

Definition of declare

1a : 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

Other Words from declare Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about declare

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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, 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. The governor declared a policy change. announce is used when something of interest is declared for the first time. Scientists announced the discovery of a new planet. advertise is used when a statement is repeated over and over and all around. She advertised her grades to the whole class.

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 on the Web

Price gouging Senate Bill 160 clarifies laws related to prevention of price gouging when the governor declares a state of emergency. — Emma Austin, The Courier-Journal, "Sex ed, terrorism and revenge porn: New Kentucky laws start Saturday," 13 July 2018 The corruption scandal led to Bowen being declared ineligible. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Should the NCAA Be Worried About the Lawsuit It's Facing From Former Louisville Players?," 12 July 2018 Such properties should have been declared substantially damaged and forced to elevate, move or raze. — Mark Collette, Houston Chronicle, "Flood Games: Here's where home elevations weren't being enforced after floods," 9 July 2018 When an animal or plant is declared endangered, the federal government has the authority to halt development projects in the species’ habitat. — Peter S. Alagona, Outside Online, "The Endangered Species Act Needs a Reboot," 9 July 2018 The government canceled the construction project and effectively declared the landscape to be a single, sprawling archaeological site. — Nick Stockton, WIRED, "Laser-Shooting Planes Uncover the Horror and Humanity of World War I," 9 July 2018 Both singers posted on social media last night, July 6, to announce the video's release, declaring their love for one another while doing so. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj Release "Bed" Music Video," 7 July 2018 The monsoon season, as declared by the National Weather Service, runs from June 15 through Sept. 30, but the storms typically crank up around the first week of July and start to fizzle out in mid-September. — Weldon B. Johnson, azcentral, "Grand Canyon gets the most lightning strikes among popular parks," 6 July 2018 But the issue didn’t become a truly national one until the Supreme Court intervened in 1973, declaring that the protections of the Constitution did not apply to the unborn. — Jonathan Zimmerman, The New Republic, "Overturning Roe v. Wade Could Remake American Politics," 5 July 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.