Standard Lemma guide

proclaim

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɹəʊˈkleɪm/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, US: /pɹoʊˈkleɪm/
  • Australian: /pɹəʉˈklæɪm/
  • rhymes with -eɪm
  • CMU ARPABET: P R OW0 K L EY1 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To announce or declare.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make (something) the subject of an official proclamation bringing it within the scope of emergency powers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

praise, glorify, or honor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • extol the virtues of one's children
  • glorify one's spouse's cooking

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: laud, extol, exalt, glorify

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: praise

Narrower terms: canonize, canonise, ensky, crack up, hymn

4

verb

Meaning 4

state or announce

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `I am not a Communist,' he exclaimed
  • The King will proclaim an amnesty

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: exclaim, promulgate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: declare

Narrower terms: declare, trumpet, clarion

5

verb

Meaning 5

declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He was proclaimed King

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: entitle, title

6

verb

Meaning 6

affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The speech predicated the fitness of the candidate to be President

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: predicate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: assert, asseverate, maintain

History

Etymology

From Middle English proclamen, proclaime, from Old French proclamer, from Latin prōclāmō, prōclāmāre, from prō- (“forth”) + clāmō (“to shout, cry out”). Spelling altered by influence of claim, from the same Latin source (clāmō).

Across languages

Translations

67 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: обявявам (objavjavam) — to announce or declare
  • Bulgarian: заявявам (zajavjavam) — to announce or declare
  • Catalan: pregonar — to announce or declare
  • Chickasaw: anoli — to announce or declare
  • Chinese Mandarin: 宣布 (xuānbù) — to announce or declare
  • Choctaw: anoli — to announce or declare
  • Czech: oznámit — to announce or declare
  • Czech: oznamovat — to announce or declare
  • Finnish: julistaa — to announce or declare
  • Finnish: ilmoittaa — to announce or declare
  • French: proclamer — to announce or declare
  • French: déclarer — to announce or declare
  • German: verkünden — to announce or declare
  • German: verkündigen — to announce or declare
  • German: erklären — to announce or declare
  • Gothic: 𐌼𐌴𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (mērjan) — to announce or declare
  • Ancient Greek: κηρύσσω (kērússō) — to announce or declare
  • Hungarian: kihirdet — to announce or declare
  • Japanese: 宣言する (sengen suru) — to announce or declare
  • Latin: proclamo — to announce or declare
  • Macedonian: о́бјави (óbjavi) — to announce or declare
  • Norwegian Bokmål: proklamere — to announce or declare
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kunngjøre — to announce or declare
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: proklamere — to announce or declare
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kunngjere — to announce or declare
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kunngjøre — to announce or declare
  • Old English: bēodan — to announce or declare
  • Polish: proklamować — to announce or declare
  • Portuguese: proclamar — to announce or declare
  • Russian: провозглаша́ть (provozglašátʹ) — to announce or declare
  • Russian: провозгласи́ть (provozglasítʹ) — to announce or declare
  • Russian: объявля́ть (obʺjavljátʹ) — to announce or declare
  • Russian: объяви́ть (obʺjavítʹ) — to announce or declare
  • Sanskrit: शंसति (śaṃsati) — to announce or declare
  • Spanish: proclamar — to announce or declare
  • Swahili: kuhubiri — to announce or declare
  • Swedish: förkunna — to announce or declare
  • Swedish: utropa — to announce or declare
  • Tocharian B: āks- — to announce or declare
  • Turkish: ilan etmek — to announce or declare
  • Ukrainian: проголо́шувати (proholóšuvaty) — to announce or declare
  • Ukrainian: проголоси́ти (proholosýty) — to announce or declare
  • Ukrainian: прокламува́ти (proklamuváty) — to announce or declare
  • Zazaki: êlan kerden — to announce or declare
  • Bulgarian: провъзглася́вам (provǎzglasjávam) — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Czech: vykládat — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Dutch: uitroepen — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Esperanto: proklami — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Finnish: julistaa — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Finnish: kuuluttaa — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • French: proclamer — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Hebrew: הצהיר (hitzhír) — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Latin: proclamo — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Macedonian: про́гласи (próglasi) — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Old English: ābēodan — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Portuguese: aclamar — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Russian: провозглаша́ть (provozglašátʹ) — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Russian: провозгласи́ть (provozglasítʹ) — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Russian: объявля́ть (obʺjavljátʹ) — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Russian: объяви́ть (obʺjavítʹ) — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Serbo-Croatian: прогласити — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Serbo-Croatian: proglasiti — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Spanish: proclamar — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Swedish: proklamera — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Swedish: utropa — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Turkish: duyurmak — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly
  • Turkish: ilan etmek — to state excitedly, verbosely and candidly