declare

If you declare victory, you are ending a war by saying you have won. Hopefully, the other side agrees, or your troops might declare you a fool. To declare is to state clearly and officially.

In elections, the government body that counts the votes declares the winner. Until the declaration is made, the results are not official. When you are traveling, you might be asked if you have anything to declare. You're not being asked for a statement of your beliefs, rather they want to know if you bought anything taxable abroad. If you hear your grandmother say, "Well, I declare!" you can be sure she is shocked and offended.

Definitions of declare
  1. verb
    state emphatically and authoritatively
    “He declared that he needed more money to carry out the task he was charged with”
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    plead
    enter a plea, as in courts of law
    profess
    confess one's faith in, or allegiance to
    condemn
    declare or judge unfit for use or habitation
    bless, consecrate, hallow, sanctify
    render holy by means of religious rites
    account, answer for
    furnish a justifying analysis or explanation
    advise, propose, suggest
    make a proposal, declare a plan for something
    assure, promise
    make a promise or commitment
    promise
    promise to undertake or give
    take the Fifth, take the Fifth Amendment
    refuse to testify by invoking the Fifth Amendment, which states that nobody may be forced to testify as a witness against himself or herself
    condemn, doom, sentence
    pronounce a sentence on (somebody) in a court of law
    exclaim, proclaim, promulgate
    state or announce
    profess
    state freely
    affirm, assert, aver, avow, swan, swear, verify
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
    depone, depose, swear
    make a deposition; declare under oath
    attest, bear witness, take the stand, testify
    give testimony in a court of law
    decree
    issue a decree
    animadvert, opine, sound off, speak out, speak up
    express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation
    count out
    declare the loser
    hold
    assert or affirm
    ordain
    issue an order
    claim, take
    lay claim to; as of an idea
    attest
    authenticate; affirm to be true, genuine, or correct, as in an official capacity
    boo, hiss
    show displeasure, as after a performance or speech
    explode
    drive from the stage by noisy disapproval
    reconsecrate
    consecrate anew, as after a desecration
    advocate, recommend, urge
    push for something
    advance, throw out
    bring forward for consideration or acceptance
    proposition
    suggest sex to
    feed back
    respond to a query or outcome
    posit, put forward, state, submit
    put before
    make a motion, move
    propose formally; in a debate or parliamentary meeting
    pledge, plight
    promise solemnly and formally
    swear off
    promise to abstain from
    contract, undertake
    enter into a contractual arrangement
    guarantee, undertake
    promise to do or accomplish
    foredoom
    doom beforehand
    trumpet
    proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet
    clarion
    proclaim on, or as if on, a clarion
    protest
    affirm or avow formally or solemnly
    vouch
    give personal assurance; guarantee
    assure, tell
    inform positively and with certainty and confidence
    editorialise, editorialize
    insert personal opinions into an objective statement
    reprobate
    abandon to eternal damnation
    enact, ordain
    order by virtue of superior authority; decree
    type of:
    say, state, tell
    express in words
  2. verb
    state firmly
    “He declared that he was innocent”
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    type of:
    affirm, assert, aver, avow, swan, swear, verify
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  3. verb
    declare to be
    “She was declared incompetent”
    synonyms: adjudge, hold
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    acknowledge, admit
    declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
    superannuate
    declare to be obsolete
    bastardise, bastardize
    declare a child to be illegitimate
    certify
    declare legally insane
    call
    declare in the capacity of an umpire or referee
    beatify
    declare (a dead person) to be blessed; the first step of achieving sainthood
    canonise, canonize, saint
    declare (a dead person) to be a saint
    judge, label, pronounce
    pronounce judgment on
    cancel, strike down
    declare null and void; make ineffective
    formalise, formalize
    make formal or official
    ritualise, ritualize
    make or evolve into a ritual
    attorn
    acknowledge a new land owner as one's landlord
    write off
    concede the loss or worthlessness of something or somebody
    annul, countermand, lift, overturn, repeal, rescind, reverse, revoke, vacate
    cancel officially
    make no bones about
    acknowledge freely and openly
    sustain
    admit as valid
    concede, confess, profess
    admit (to a wrongdoing)
    confess
    confess to God in the presence of a priest, as in the Catholic faith
    confess, fink, squeal
    confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
    avouch, avow
    admit openly and bluntly; make no bones about
    acquit, assoil, clear, discharge, exculpate, exonerate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
    convict
    find or declare guilty
    tout
    advertise in strongly positive terms
    find, rule
    decide on and make a declaration about
    qualify
    pronounce fit or able
    disqualify
    declare unfit
    remit
    release from (claims, debts, or taxes)
    intonate, intone
    speak carefully, as with rising and falling pitch or in a particular tone
    write off
    cancel (a debt)
    annihilate, annul, avoid, invalidate, nullify, quash, void
    declare invalid
    recall
    make unavailable; bar from sale or distribution
    type of:
    evaluate, judge, pass judgment
    form a critical opinion of
  4. verb
    announce publicly or officially
    “The President declared war”
    synonyms: announce
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    types:
    promulgate
    put a law into effect by formal declaration
    type of:
    say, state, tell
    express in words
  5. verb
    proclaim one's support, sympathy, or opinion for or against
    “His wife declared at once for moving to the West Coast”
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    type of:
    exclaim, proclaim, promulgate
    state or announce
  6. verb
    authorize payments of
    “declare dividends”
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    type of:
    authorise, authorize, clear, pass
    grant authorization or clearance for
  7. verb
    make a declaration (of dutiable goods) to a customs official
    “Do you have anything to declare?”
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    type of:
    say, state, tell
    express in words
  8. verb
    designate (a trump suit or no-trump) with the final bid of a hand
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    type of:
    play
    put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game
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