# declare

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɪˈklɛə/ · frequency rank #6,555

## Definitions
1. To make clear, explain, interpret.
2. To assert or announce formally, officially, explicitly, or emphatically.
3. To inform government customs or taxation officials of goods one is importing or of income, expenses, or other circumstances affecting one's taxes.
4. To show one's cards in order to score.
5. For a constituency in an election to officially announce the result
6. The decision of the captain to let the bowling side bat in test cricket to save time without being all out.
7. To explicitly establish the existence of (a variable, function, etc.) without necessarily describing its content.
8. to declare war
9. To state that a thing shall happen or affirm a condition in the hopes of seeing it happen spiritually, in contrast to prayer which takes the form of a request.

## Etymology
From Middle English declaren, from Old French declarer, from Latin dēclārō (“to make clear”), from dē- + clārus (“clear”).

## Easily confused with
- **decline** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/declare-vs-decline)
- **deflate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/declare-vs-deflate)
- **declared** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/declare-vs-declared)
- **decade** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/decade-vs-declare)
- **Declan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/declan-vs-declare)

## Common misspellings (10)
`dcelare`, `ddeclare`, `decalre`, `decclare`, `declaer`, `declarre`, `decllare`, `declrae`, `delcare`, `edclare`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/declare