Declaration

How to spell declaration

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce declaration

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does declaration mean?

1. nounA formal or explicit statement that announces or makes something officially known.

Declaration in a sentence

• The prime minister issued a public declaration of war.

• Travellers must complete a customs declaration before landing.

Where does declaration come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb declarare, which meant 'to make clear' or 'to reveal'. It was built from the prefix de-, used here as an intensifier meaning 'fully' or 'thoroughly', and the verb clarare, 'to make bright or clear', which itself came from the adjective clarus, meaning 'clear, bright, or famous'. The related noun declaratio described the act of making something plain or publicly known. English took the word through Old French declaration in the late 1300s, keeping the sense of a formal, open announcement. The same clarus root still shines through everyday relatives such as 'clear', 'clarify', and 'clarity', and remembering that link to 'clear' is a useful way to anchor the single l and the -ar- in the middle of the spelling.

How the word is built

• de- (fully, thoroughly)
• clar (from Latin clarus: clear)
• -ation (noun-forming suffix)