proclamation

noun

proc·​la·​ma·​tion ˌprä-klə-ˈmā-shən 

1

: the action of proclaiming : the state of being proclaimed

2

: something proclaimed

specifically : an official formal public announcement

Examples of proclamation in a Sentence

the proclamation of martial law

The President issued a proclamation which freed the slaves.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hawaii’s acting governor, Sylvia Luke, issued the emergency proclamation on Friday afternoon, declaring a state of emergency across the entire state. —Jon Haworth, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2025

The trailer then cuts to a mysterious, dark figure, who shares an ominous proclamation. —Dory Jackson, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025

Virginia Gardens honored longtime resident Georgie Carter Krell on her 94th birthday with a proclamation recognizing her decades of work on behalf of veterans and Gold Star families. —Theo Karantsalis, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025

In a move that surprised some, the Republican governor’s proclamation also called on lawmakers to weaken the state’s initiative petition process, a more than a century-old mechanism for direct democracy that allows citizens to put measures on the ballot. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English proclamacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin proclamation-, proclamatio, from proclamare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for proclamation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

proclamation

noun

proc·​la·​ma·​tion ˌpräk-lə-ˈmā-shən 

1

: the act of proclaiming

2

: something proclaimed

Legal Definition

proclamation

noun

proc·​la·​ma·​tion ˌprä-klə-ˈmā-shən 

1

: the act of proclaiming

2

: something proclaimed

specifically : an official formal public announcement (as a public notice, edict, or decree) compare declaration, executive order