# declare

Pronunciation: say "di-KLAIR" US /dɪˈklɛɚ/, UK /dɪˈklɛə/

## Verb

1. To state or announce something formally, officially, or with emphasis.
   - Simple: To say something firmly, or make it known publicly or officially.
   - _Officials declared a state of emergency across the region._
   - _Several senators have refused to declare for either side before the vote._
2. To inform customs or tax officials of goods you are importing or of income and expenses affecting your taxes.
   - Simple: To tell customs or tax officials about goods you bring in, income you receive, or expenses that affect your taxes.
   - _Travelers must declare items over the duty-free limit at the border._
   - _He declared all his freelance earnings to the tax office._
3. To state in code that a variable, function, or similar element exists, without necessarily specifying its value or content.
   - Simple: To tell a program that a variable or function with a certain name exists, often before saying what it holds.
   - _In many languages you must declare each variable before assigning a value._
   - _The header file declares several functions used across the project._
4. Of a constituency, to make its election result officially known to the public.
   - Simple: For a voting area to officially announce its election result.
   - _Marginal constituencies often declare last as recounts drag on._
   - _The seat finally declared just after three in the morning._
5. In cricket, for the captain to end the team's innings voluntarily before being all out, leaving time for the other side to bat.
   - Simple: In cricket, for a captain to choose to end the team's batting early, before the team is all out.
   - _With a commanding lead, the captain may declare to give his bowlers time._
   - _Australia declared overnight, setting a target of over four hundred._
6. In card games, to lay down one's cards in order to score.
   - Simple: In a card game, to show your cards so they can be counted for points.
   - _Players declare once they believe their hand will score._
   - _As soon as all her cards formed sets and runs, she declared and laid them face up for the others to count._

## Verb

7. To make a matter clear by explaining or interpreting it. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To make something clear by explaining what it means.

## Other meanings

- (verb) In grand strategy gaming slang, to declare war on another player or faction.

## Origin

Latin dēclārō ("to make clear"), built on clārus ("clear") with the prefix dē-, became Old French declarer and then Middle English declaren.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/declare (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).