ENGLISH
REFERENCE

announce

v.
US //əˈnaʊns// UK //ɐnˈaʊns// an·nounce
  1. 1 to make known publicly (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to tell people something officially or publicly.

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

    Example

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

    Example

    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'.

  2. 2 to provide commentary (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate American English Sport

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

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

    Example

    He has been announcing baseball games for over twenty years.

    Example

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

    Teacher's tip

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

Origin

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

Word family

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