Meaning & use
proclaim
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Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
To announce something openly and officially so that everyone knows.
Grammar: Takes an object: proclaim a holiday.
Patterns
- proclaim something
- proclaim that something is the case
The king proclaimed a day of celebration.
The government proclaimed independence in 1960.
Banners proclaimed the start of the festival.
verbtransitive
To declare something loudly and with confidence, as if you want everyone to hear.
Grammar: Can be followed by a clause or by an object plus noun or adjective.
Patterns
- proclaim someone something
- proclaim yourself something
She proclaimed her innocence to anyone who would listen.
He proclaimed himself the best cook in town.
The fans proclaimed the singer a hero.
verbtransitiveliterary
To make something clearly evident, as a sign or feature does.
Grammar: The subject is a thing, not a person: the sign proclaims the shop's name.
Patterns
- something proclaims something
His expensive coat proclaimed his wealth.
The tall tower proclaimed the town's pride.
Her smile proclaimed her good news.
Word forms
| third person singular | proclaims |
|---|---|
| past tense | proclaimed |
| past participle | proclaimed |
| -ing form | proclaiming |
Common combinations
- proclaim independence
- The colony proclaimed independence after a long struggle.
- proclaim loudly
- He proclaimed loudly that he had won.
- proclaim a holiday
- The mayor proclaimed a holiday for the parade.
- proclaim yourself
- She proclaimed herself queen.
- publicly proclaim
- They publicly proclaimed their love.
Synonyms and how they differ
- announce
- Announce is the everyday word and carries less ceremony than proclaim.
- declare
- Declare is formal but may be quiet, while proclaim suggests public and loud.
- herald
- Herald suggests the announcement of something new and important, like an era.
- trumpet
- Trumpet suggests boasting or spreading news noisily.
Opposites
Word family
- proclamation noun
- an official public announcement
- proclaimer noun
- a person who proclaims
- proclaimed adjective
- openly announced
- claim verb
- to state something as true or yours
Commonly confused: proclaim or pronounce?
proclaim vs pronounce
Pronounce means to say a word in a certain way, or to declare formally, while proclaim means to announce openly and loudly.
Practice
The new leader stood on the balcony and ___ the start of a new era.
Choose one answer.
Proclaimed fits an official, public announcement. The other choices do not make a grammatical, sensible sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “proclaim”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.