declare
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to say something in an official or public way so that everyone knows it is true.
to announce or assert something formally, officially, or explicitly. Often used in legal, political, or ceremonial contexts.
Simple“The referee will declare the winner of the match after checking the final scores.”
In context“The government decided to declare a state of emergency following the unprecedented flooding in the coastal provinces.”
UsageOften followed by a noun phrase or a 'that' clause.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to tell a government official about money you earned or goods you bought so you can pay tax.
to make a full statement of taxable goods or income to customs or tax authorities.
Simple“You must declare any expensive jewelry you bought abroad when you go through customs.”
In context“Freelance workers are legally required to declare all additional income to the tax office at the end of the fiscal year.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
to tell a computer program that a specific name or piece of data exists.
to specify the name and type of a variable, function, or other identifier to the compiler or interpreter.
Simple“You need to declare the variable at the top of your code before you use it.”
In context“In many strongly typed languages, failing to declare a variable before its first assignment will result in a compilation error.”
UsageTypically used as a transitive verb with the name of the variable as the object.
- 04 C1 Advanced
to say something very strongly because you believe it is true.
to state or affirm a condition or belief emphatically, often with the intent of making it a reality.
Simple“The speaker stood up to declare his support for the new community project.”
In context“The activist chose to declare her innocence before the assembly, refusing to accept the charges laid against her.”
Usage declare gifts
“Image caption, A warning from the National Crime Agency (NCA) is the main story for the Daily Mail, which declares "Children are 'not safe' on the internet".”
“Scientists declare an El Niño when sea surface temperatures in a key area of the Pacific are 0.5C or more above average.”
From Middle English declaren, from Old French declarer, from Latin dēclārō (“to make clear”), from dē- + clārus (“clear”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.