proclaim

verb

pro·​claim prō-ˈklām 

prə-

proclaimed; proclaiming; proclaims

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

proclaimer noun

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.

Synonyms

• advertise
• announce
• annunciate
• blare
• blaze
• blazon
• broadcast
• declare
• enunciate
• flash
• give out
• herald
• placard
• post
• promulgate
• publicize
• publish
• release
• sound
• trumpet

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

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

In front of an excited crowd of Venezuelans in Miami in 2019, the president proclaimed that Maduro’s days were numbered. —Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 20 June 2025

The holiday marks the date in 1865 – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation – that Major General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union Army troops came to Galveston Bay, Texas, to proclaim freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state. —Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 June 2025

More Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Kennedy's 2012 majority opinion could also be linked to the clash between the current White House and Democratic states, counties, and cities which either proclaim to be, or have been branded as, sanctuary jurisdictions. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025

In 2021, the day was proclaimed a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, officially recognizing Juneteenth as the day commemorating the end of slavery. —Essence, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for proclaim

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe

Kids Definition

proclaim

verb

pro·​claim prō-ˈklām 

1

: to announce publicly

proclaimed his innocence

2

: to declare formally

proclaim a holiday

proclaimer noun

Legal Definition

proclaim

transitive verb

pro·​claim prō-ˈklām 

: to declare or declare to be solemnly, officially, or formally

proclaim an amnesty