proclaim

verb

Save Word

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

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Russian analysts have said Mr. Putin could use the celebration to proclaim a military victory in Ukraine. — Vivian Salama, WSJ, 24 Apr. 2022 Neither Ertel nor Jackson was hesitant in admitting defeat but made sure to proclaim their immense dedication by leaving it all out on the court. — Evan Dudley, al, 19 Mar. 2022 Ye has objected to Kardashian’s requests for a divorce and has used Instagram to proclaim his devotion to her, criticize her parenting and threaten her current boyfriend Pete Davidson. — NBC News, 18 Mar. 2022 Nearly one million deaths later—a loss that once seemed impossible but is now inevitable—politicians are eager to proclaim a return to normal for an exhausted public. — Grace Segers, The New Republic, 15 Mar. 2022 Wisconsin became the third state to proclaim Patriots' Day in 2001. — Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2022 Fans on Twitter were quick to proclaim their love for all of these performances, with many tweets referring to the group as the Music Avengers. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2022 Jesus may proclaim that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2022 Chairman Powell can proclaim inflation expectations to his heart's content. — Laurence Kotlikoff, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2022 See More

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.