What does "declare" mean?

1. (to announce formally) to say something in an official or public way so that everyone knows it is true. 2. (to report for tax) to tell a government official about money you earned or goods you bought so you can pay tax. 3. (programming) to tell a computer program that a specific name or piece of data exists. 4. (to state a belief) to say something very strongly because you believe it is true.

How do you use "declare"?

Often followed by a noun phrase or a 'that' clause. Typically used as a transitive verb with the name of the variable as the object.

declare

US //dɪˈkɫɛɹ// UK //dɪklˈeə// de·clare

1 to announce formally (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

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.

Example

The referee will declare the winner of the match after checking the final scores.

Example

The government decided to declare a state of emergency following the unprecedented flooding in the coastal provinces.

Usage

Often followed by a noun phrase or a 'that' clause.
- conceal
- deny
2 to report for tax (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Law

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.

Example

You must declare any expensive jewelry you bought abroad when you go through customs.

Example

Freelance workers are legally required to declare all additional income to the tax office at the end of the fiscal year.
- report
- disclose
- hide
- smuggle

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3 programming (v.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

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.

Example

You need to declare the variable at the top of your code before you use it.

Example

In many strongly typed languages, failing to declare a variable before its first assignment will result in a compilation error.

Usage

Typically used as a transitive verb with the name of the variable as the object.
- define
- specify
4 to state a belief (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal Religion

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.

Example

The speaker stood up to declare his support for the new community project.

Example

The activist chose to declare her innocence before the assembly, refusing to accept the charges laid against her.
- assert
- affirm

Origin

From Middle English declaren, from Old French declarer, from Latin dēclārō (“to make clear”), from dē- + clārus (“clear”).

Word family

Verbdeclare
Noundeclaration