Standard Lemma guide

promulgate

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.

  • UK: /ˈpɹɒml̩.ɡeɪt/
  • US: /ˈpɹɑ.məl.ɡeɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R OW0 M AH1 L G EY0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make known or make public.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: declare, proclaim, publish

Antonyms: withhold

2

verb

Meaning 2

To put into effect as a regulation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: carry out, execute, implement, put into effect

Antonyms: abrogate

3

verb

Meaning 3

To advocate on behalf of (something or someone, especially of an idea); to spread knowledge of and make more widely known.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: nonstandard, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: propagate, promote, disseminate

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

past participle of promulgate

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, obsolete, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

put a law into effect by formal declaration

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: announce, declare

6

verb

Meaning 6

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: proclaim, exclaim

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: declare

Narrower terms: declare, trumpet, clarion

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English promulgaten, from Latin prōmulgātus, perfect passive participle of prōmulgō (“to make known, publish”), either from provulgō (“to make known, publish”), from pro (“forth”) + vulgō (“to publish”), or from mulgeō (“to bring forth”, literally “to milk”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of promulge.

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: հրապարակել (hraparakel) — to make known/public
  • Bulgarian: обявявам (objavjavam) — to make known/public
  • Catalan: promulgar — to make known/public
  • Czech: uvést — to make known/public
  • Czech: uvádět — to make known/public
  • Czech: zveřejnit — to make known/public
  • Czech: zveřejňovat — to make known/public
  • Czech: uveřejnit — to make known/public
  • Czech: uveřejňovat — to make known/public
  • Czech: šířit — to make known/public
  • Czech: rozšiřovat — to make known/public
  • Czech: rozšířit — to make known/public
  • Finnish: julistaa — to make known/public
  • Finnish: levittää — to make known/public
  • French: promulguer — to make known/public
  • German: verkünden — to make known/public
  • German: bekanntmachen — to make known/public
  • Irish: scaip — to make known/public
  • Italian: promulgare — to make known/public
  • Italian: proclamare — to make known/public
  • Ladin: promulgher — to make known/public
  • Latin: promulgo — to make known/public
  • Polish: promulgować — to make known/public
  • Portuguese: promulgar — to make known/public
  • Romanian: promulga — to make known/public
  • Russian: опублико́вывать (opublikóvyvatʹ) — to make known/public
  • Serbo-Croatian: promulgírati — to make known/public
  • Serbo-Croatian: obnárodovati — to make known/public
  • Spanish: promulgar — to make known/public
  • Swedish: förkunna — to make known/public
  • Swedish: kungöra — to make known/public
  • Ukrainian: оприлюднити (opryljudnyty) — to make known/public
  • Vietnamese: công bố — to make known/public
  • Vietnamese: ban bố — to make known/public
  • Bulgarian: публикувам (publikuvam) — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Catalan: promulgar — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Czech: zavést — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Czech: zavádět — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Dutch: uitvaardigen — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Finnish: saattaa voimaan — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Finnish: hyväksyttää — to put into effect as a regulation
  • French: promulguer — to put into effect as a regulation
  • German: erlassen — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Italian: promulgare — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Russian: опублико́вывать (opublikóvyvatʹ) — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Russian: опубликова́ть (opublikovátʹ) — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Serbo-Croatian: promulgírati — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Spanish: promulgar — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Swedish: utfärda — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Swedish: promulgera — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Vietnamese: ban hành — to put into effect as a regulation
  • Vietnamese: ban bố — to put into effect as a regulation