proclaim

verb

pro·claim | \ prō-ˈklām,

prə-\

proclaimed; proclaiming; proclaims

Definition of proclaim

transitive verb

1a : to declare publicly, typically insistently, proudly, or defiantly and in either speech or writing : announce

b : to give outward indication of : show his manner proclaimed his genteel upbringing

2 : to declare or declare to be solemnly, officially, or formally proclaim an amnesty proclaim the country a republic

3 : to praise or glorify openly or publicly : extol proclaimed the rescue workers' efforts

Other Words from proclaim Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about proclaim

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Choose the Right Synonym for proclaim

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

Did You Know?

The pro- in proclaim means "forward, out", so a proclamation is an "outward" statement intended for the public. We often think of proclamations as something issued by monarchs or dictators, but Lincoln was able to issue his Emancipation Proclamation because as president he had the power to free the slaves in certain areas. At a slightly lower level, a governor may proclaim a day in honor of the state's firemen, a movie critic may proclaim a director to be the best of all, or you may proclaim your New Year's resolutions to a crowd of friends.

Examples of proclaim in a Sentence

She proclaimed that she will run for governor. The President proclaimed a national day of mourning. He took command of the government and proclaimed himself emperor. The magazine proclaimed him to be the best player in baseball. He proclaimed his love for her in a poem. His behavior proclaimed his good upbringing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jesus proclaimed good news to the poor and release of the oppressed. — David B. Gowler, Fortune, "Commentary: Let’s Be Honest: Paul Ryan Would Fire Jesus as House Chaplain," 1 May 2018 Cyclists who set such benchmarks showed a median increase in uploads of 15.1 percent six months after proclaiming their goal, and runners showed an increase of 14.7 percent in the same time period. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "The 2 Things That Will Help Motivate You to Be More Active, According to a New Strava Report," 28 Nov. 2018 That would have been possible when the series was announced and initially proclaimed to be an open-competition series in which auto companies could build their own components. — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, "Speaking of Spokes: The Design That Could Change How Electric Car Motors Are Made," 20 Nov. 2018 Fans took to Twitter to proclaim just how amazing Carrie’s mini concert was. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Carrie Underwood Gives Emotional Performance of 'Love Wins' at the CMA Awards," 15 Nov. 2018 But here's what people who haughtily proclaim that the media has some hidden, left-wing agenda don't get: Such accusations, false claims, threats and even bullets, won't stop us. — Bill Goodykoontz, azcentral, "The Capital Gazette is publishing on Friday. Damn straight it is," 28 June 2018 These days we are all used to T-shirts and, increasingly, other items of clothing that publicly proclaim the wearer’s allegiance to a product, a personality or a cause. — Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, "Dressed to kill: War propaganda kimonos on view at the de Young," 11 May 2018 Overall, Porsche proclaims an electric range of 500 km. — Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, "Everything We Know About the Porsche Taycan," 2 Aug. 2018 In June, government and military officials proclaimed the area safe in a campaign spread in the news media, through local community leaders and in messages delivered in camps. — New York Times, "A Homecoming for Nigerians Who Fled Militants. All That’s Missing Is the ‘Home.’," 10 July 2018

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