English Reference

Word

announce

Phoneticsan·nounce, stress on the second syllable

US/əˈnaʊns/

UK/ɐnˈaʊns/

Definitions

01to make known publicly

B1 · Intermediate

v. to tell people something officially or publicly.

v. to make a formal public declaration or to give notice of something for the first time.

“The company will announce the name of its new CEO tomorrow morning.”

“The government is expected to announce a significant increase in the education budget during the upcoming legislative session.”

Usage

Often followed by a 'that' clause or the preposition 'to'.

Pitfall

He announced me the news.

He announced the news to me.

The verb 'announce' cannot take an indirect object (the person) directly. You must announce 'something to someone'.

02to provide commentary

B2 · Upper Intermediate Sports American English

v. to describe what is happening during a sports game or event for an audience.

v. to serve as an announcer or commentator for a broadcasted event, typically in sports.

“He has been announcing baseball games for over twenty years.”

“The veteran broadcaster was hired to announce the championship final, bringing his decades of expertise to the live television coverage.”

Teaching tip

In British English, 'commentate' is much more common for this specific activity.

Synonyms

commentatenarrate

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “announce” in context.

Verb

01. formally announce

“The company will formally announce the merger at tomorrow's press conference.”

adv + verb

02. officially announce

“The government has officially announced a new bank holiday.”

adv + verb

03. proudly announce

“We are proud to announce the winners of this year's scholarship.”

adv + verb

04. publicly announce

“The couple decided to publicly announce their engagement on social media.”

adv + verb

Noun

05. announce plan

“The city council announced plans to build a new library.”

verb + noun

06. announce resignation

“The CEO surprised everyone when he announced his resignation.”

verb + noun

07. announce retirement

“The legendary goalkeeper is expected to announce his retirement today.”

verb + noun

08. announce winner

“The judges will announce the winner at the end of the show.”

verb + noun

09. announce intention to

“The senator announced her intention to run for president next year.”

10. announce to the public

“The discovery was not announced to the public until the following month.”

11. ready to announce

“After weeks of testing, the team is finally ready to announce the results.”

Etymology

From Old French anoncier, from Latin annūntiāre, from ad + nūntiō (“report, relate”), from nūntius (“messenger, bearer of news”). See nuncio, and compare with annunciate.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

VERB

announce(B1)

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
Frequency
Common
Level
B1 · IntermediateOxford
Updated

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