# declaration

/ˌdɛkɫɝˈeɪʃən/ (US) · /dˌɛkləɹˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/declaration
Updated: 2026-07-22

## Senses

### 1. formal statement

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

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

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

- The government made a formal declaration of war against the invading army.
- The council issued a formal declaration of intent to preserve the historic district, effectively halting all pending demolition permits.

### 2. legal list of goods

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- You must sign a customs declaration when you enter the country with expensive gifts.
- Failure to provide an accurate declaration of assets during the bankruptcy proceedings resulted in severe financial penalties for the corporation.

### 3. programming code

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- The programmer forgot the variable declaration, so the code would not run.
- 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. statement of love

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary · Archaic

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

For teachers: an explicit and emphatic assertion of romantic feelings or devotion.

- He surprised her with a sudden declaration of his undying love.
- The novel reaches its climax when the protagonist finally makes a passionate declaration of his affections in the rain.

## Examples

- The leader made a declaration of peace.
- Travelers must sign a written declaration stating they are not carrying any restricted items through customs.
- The historic declaration of independence served as both a legal break from the crown and a philosophical manifesto for the new nation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.