# declare

/dɪˈkɫɛɹ/ (US) · /dɪklˈeə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/declare
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to announce formally

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to say something in an official or public way so that everyone knows it is true.

For teachers: to announce or assert something formally, officially, or explicitly. Often used in legal, political, or ceremonial contexts.

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

### 2. to report for tax

verb · CEFR B2

to tell a government official about money you earned or goods you bought so you can pay tax.

For teachers: to make a full statement of taxable goods or income to customs or tax authorities.

- You must declare any expensive jewelry you bought abroad when you go through customs.
- Freelance workers are legally required to declare all additional income to the tax office at the end of the fiscal year.

### 3. programming

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to tell a computer program that a specific name or piece of data exists.

For teachers: to specify the name and type of a variable, function, or other identifier to the compiler or interpreter.

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

### 4. to state a belief

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to say something very strongly because you believe it is true.

For teachers: to state or affirm a condition or belief emphatically, often with the intent of making it a reality.

- The speaker stood up to declare his support for the new community project.
- The activist chose to declare her innocence before the assembly, refusing to accept the charges laid against her.

## Examples

- The referee will declare the winner at the end of the match.
- The government plans to declare a state of emergency to deal with the rising flood waters.
- After reviewing the evidence, the committee decided to declare the previous results null and void, citing significant procedural errors during the initial count.

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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.