Synonyms

proclaim

American

[proh-kleym, pruh-] / proʊˈkleɪm, prə- /

verb (used with object)

to announce or declare in an official or formal manner.

to proclaim war.

Synonyms:

advertise
to announce or declare in an open or ostentatious way.

to proclaim one's opinions.

Synonyms:

promulgate
to indicate or make known publicly or openly.
to extol or praise publicly.

Let them proclaim the Lord.
to declare (a territory, district, etc.) subject to particular legal restrictions.
to declare to be an outlaw, evildoer, or the like.
to denounce or prohibit publicly.

verb (used without object)

to make a proclamation.

proclaim British

/ prəˈklæmətərɪ, -trɪ, ˌprɒkləˈmeɪʃən, prəˈkleɪm /

verb

(may take a clause as object) to announce publicly
(may take a clause as object) to show or indicate plainly
to praise or extol

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See announce.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of proclaim

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin prōclāmāre “to cry out”; equivalent to pro- ¹ + claim

Explanation

"I proclaim the Olympic Games open." Every two years with words similar to these, the Olympic games officially begin. To proclaim is to exclaim or declare. When you proclaim something, you are saying it loud and clear and in public. A doctor can proclaim you healthy after you have recovered from a long illness. The panel of judges may have trouble proclaiming the winner in a very tight race. What you are saying out loud can be called a proclamation. Proclamations were once only made by Kings or other ruling leaders which is why the word proclaim has an official feeling to it.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After overcoming each temptation, he goes to Galilee to proclaim God’s word.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

Let us proclaim that, oh, teams can’t land back-to-back No. 1 picks.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Letter Cresset External link April 16: Recent troubling private-credit headlines prompted market Cassandras to proclaim an incipient credit crisis.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

Yet the question always dogs veeps: How to proclaim their good work and clinch that nomination?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

It was just the sort of notion that would appeal to Renly Baratheon; a splendid new order of knighthood, with gorgeous new raiment to proclaim it.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023