What does "declare" mean?
To make clear, explain, interpret.
Declare
/dɪˈklɛə/ verb, slang
verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To make clear, explain, interpret.
- Grammar: declare is listed as verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: announce, assert, avow, disclose.
- Useful contrasts: intimate friend, qualifying statement, backtrack.
- Usage evidence: Do you have anything to declare?
How to use "declare"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "declare" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "declare" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "declare" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "declare" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "declare" is acting as verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "announce" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "declare", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make clear, explain, interpret. obsolete, transitive
"Then answered Peter and sayd to him: declare unto us thys parable."
- 2 state firmly wordnet
- 3 To assert or announce formally, officially, explicitly, or emphatically. intransitive, transitive
"He declared him innocent."
- 4 declare to be wordnet
- 5 To inform government customs or taxation officials of goods one is importing or of income, expenses, or other circumstances affecting one's taxes. transitive
"The prosecution has introduced evidence, including canceled checks, to show that the judge failed to declare part of his income."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 announce publicly or officially wordnet
- 7 To show one's cards in order to score.
- 8 proclaim one's support, sympathy, or opinion for or against wordnet
- 9 For a constituency in an election to officially announce the result intransitive
"Houghton and Sunderland South was the first constituency to declare in the 2015 general election."
- 10 state emphatically and authoritatively wordnet
- 11 The decision of the captain to let the bowling side bat in test cricket to save time without being all out.
"He declared at 689-7."
- 12 make a declaration (of dutiable goods) to a customs official wordnet
- 13 To explicitly establish the existence of (a variable, function, etc.) without necessarily describing its content. transitive
"The counter "i" was declared as an integer."
- 14 designate (a trump suit or no-trump) with the final bid of a hand wordnet
- 15 to declare war slang
"France declared on me, I'm finished!"
- 16 authorize payments of wordnet
- 17 To state that a thing shall happen or affirm a condition in the hopes of seeing it happen spiritually, in contrast to prayer which takes the form of a request.
"He prayed to God "please heal my sister", while she declared "I am healed in Jesus' name"."
Antonyms
Example
"Do you have anything to declare?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "declare"?
Common synonyms include: announce, assert, avow, disclose, proclaim, state.
How do you use "declare" in a sentence?
Do you have anything to declare?
How do you pronounce "declare"?
Pronounced /dɪˈklɛə/.
Etymology
From Middle English declaren, from Old French declarer, from Latin dēclārō (“to make clear”), from dē- + clārus (“clear”).