English Reference
noun

declaration

n.
US /ˌdɛkɫɝˈeɪʃən/ UK /dˌɛkləɹˈeɪʃən/ dec·la·ra·tion UK spelling declaration's, declaration's

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    an official or public statement that tells people about a decision or a fact.

    a formal or explicit statement or announcement, often carrying official weight or authority.

    Simple

    The government made a formal declaration of war against the invading army.

    In context

    The council issued a formal declaration of intent to preserve the historic district, effectively halting all pending demolition permits.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    a written list of items you have, usually for taxes or travel.

    a formal statement of goods or income for the assessment of duty or tax.

    Simple

    You must sign a customs declaration when you enter the country with expensive gifts.

    In context

    Failure to provide an accurate declaration of assets during the bankruptcy proceedings resulted in severe financial penalties for the corporation.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a piece of code that tells a computer a name or variable exists.

    a statement that specifies the properties of an identifier, such as a variable or function, without necessarily defining its value.

    Simple

    The programmer forgot the variable declaration, so the code would not run.

    In context

    In many strongly typed languages, a clear declaration of the data type is required before the variable can be used in any logical operations.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced LiteraryArchaic

    a serious and open statement of your romantic feelings for someone.

    an explicit and emphatic assertion of romantic feelings or devotion.

    Simple

    He surprised her with a sudden declaration of his undying love.

    In context

    The novel reaches its climax when the protagonist finally makes a passionate declaration of his affections in the rain.

    confessionavowal

On Thursday, the Saudi Ministry of Defence announced that 15 countries have signed a declaration, 13 of which have fully joined the coalition so far.

Al Jazeera· 14 Aug 2026

The Reform leader did not attend the result declaration, with his party saying the police had advised against it.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

From Middle English declaration, declaracion, declaracioun, from Old French declaration (French déclaration), from Latin dēclārātiōnem, accusative of Latin dēclārātiō.

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

This entry
Origin Latin dēclārātiō
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated