proclaim

play

verb pro·claim \ prō-ˈklām , prə- \

Definition of proclaim

transitive verb

1 a :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

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proclaimer

noun

See proclaim defined for English-language learners

See proclaim defined for kids

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 of proclaim from the Web

Hogsett hasn't exactly proclaimed a new era of lavish spending in Indianapolis.

— james briggs, Indianapolis Star, "Mayor Joe Hogsett 'oversold' Indianapolis' fiscal comeback, GOP councilor says," 27 Aug. 2017
Every president since the '70s has proclaimed the holiday each year, so to some degree his announcement was expected.

— krystin arneson, Glamour, "Donald Trump Declared Saturday Women's Equality Day—But Didn't Quite Get It Right," 26 Aug. 2017
The intent of proclaiming a mainstream, of course, is to exclude.

— arthur green, The Atlantic, "Restoring Kabbalah to Mainstream Judaism," 25 Aug. 2017
Fifty years after the execution, Democratic Gov. Michael Dukakis — a son of Greek immigrants — proclaimed Aug. 23 as Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti Memorial Day.

— steve leblanc, The Seattle Times, "90 years on, legacy of Sacco and Vanzetti executions lingers," 23 Aug. 2017
This was the option of choice for Fabian Delph ahead of his move to Manchester City, proclaiming his love for Aston Villa before leaving just to really anger their fans.

— SI.com, "Football Fans Reveal Their Preferred Tactic for Forcing Through a Transfer Deal," 22 Aug. 2017
Greenwich proclaimed April 23, 2016, as Paul B. Hicks III Day.

— business insider, Fortune, "Meet the 28-Year-Old Woman Trump Tapped as Interim White House Communications Director," 18 Aug. 2017
But supporters of Yang, including former patients, have proclaimed him a good doctor who has served the community well for years.

— hannah leone, Aurora Beacon-News, "Attorney change may delay case of doctor charged with sex abuse," 15 Aug. 2017
Such an oath can also foster a certain Maoist angst, if people don’t actually believe something they’ve been obliged to proclaim.

— john sedgwick, Vanities, "What’s Really Behind the Civil War to End Harvard’s Fraternities?," 9 Aug. 2017

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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of proclaim

Middle English proclamen, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French proclamer, from Latin proclamare, from pro- before + clamare to cry out — more at pro-, claim

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

proclaim Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

PROCLAIM Defined for English Language Learners

proclaim

play

verb

Definition of proclaim for English Language Learners

: to say or state (something) in a public, official, or definite way : to declare or announce (something)
: to show (something) clearly

PROCLAIM Defined for Kids

proclaim

play

verb pro·claim \ prō-ˈklām \

Definition of proclaim for Students

proclaimed; proclaiming

:to announce publicly :declare

The president proclaimed a holiday.

Word Root of proclaim

The Latin word clamāre, meaning “to shout” or “to cry out,” gives us the root clam and its form claim. Words from the Latin clamāre have something to do with shouting. To exclaim is to cry out in a sudden or emotional way. To proclaim is to announce or shout something publicly. Clamor is noisy shouting.