Meaning & use
announce
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To tell people something publicly or officially, especially news that was not known before.
Grammar: Takes an object or a that-clause: announce the winner, announce that school is closed.
Patterns
- announce something
- announce that something
- announce something to someone
The company will announce its new phone on Tuesday.
The mayor announced that the bridge would reopen in May.
They announced their engagement at the family dinner.
verbtransitive
To say something aloud over a speaker or to a room so that everyone hears, such as arrivals or departures.
Grammar: Takes an object: announce the next train.
Patterns
- announce something over the speaker
- announce someone
A voice announced the departure of the 9:15 train.
The host stood up and announced each guest as they came in.
verbtransitiveliterary
To show that something is about to happen or is present, as a sign or signal.
Grammar: The subject is a thing or event: the bell announced the start of class.
Patterns
- something announces something
A trumpet blast announced the arrival of the king.
The first robins announced the end of winter.
Word forms
| third person singular | announces |
|---|---|
| past tense | announced |
| past participle | announced |
| -ing form | announcing |
Common combinations
- announce a decision
- The committee will announce its decision on Friday.
- announce plans
- The airline announced plans to add new routes.
- publicly announce
- He publicly announced his retirement.
- formally announce
- The two companies formally announced their merger.
- announce the winner
- The judges will announce the winner after lunch.
Synonyms and how they differ
- declare
- Declare is stronger and more formal, suggesting a firm statement of position or fact, not just news.
- proclaim
- Proclaim is grander and louder, often used for official or ceremonial statements.
- reveal
- Reveal suggests disclosing something that was hidden, whereas announce just makes news public.
- broadcast
- Broadcast stresses spreading the information widely by media.
Opposites
Word family
- announcement noun
- a public statement of news
- announcer noun
- a person who reads news or introduces programs
- unannounced adjective
- happening without warning
- preannounce verb
- to announce in advance
Commonly confused: announce or denounce?
announce vs denounce
Denounce means to publicly condemn someone or something, not to make news known.
Practice
The principal will ___ the winners over the school speaker at noon.
Choose one answer.
Announce means to tell people publicly. Denounce means to criticize strongly, which does not fit a prize list.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “announce”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.