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The pro- in proclaim means "forward, out", so a proclamation is an "outward" statement intended for the public. We often think of proclamations as something issued by monarchs or dictators, but Lincoln was able to issue his Emancipation Proclamation because as president he had the power to free the slaves in certain areas. At a slightly lower level, a governor may proclaim a day in honor of the state's firemen, a movie critic may proclaim a director to be the best of all, or you may proclaim your New Year's resolutions to a crowd of friends.
Synonyms
Examples of proclaim in a Sentence
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
When apartheid finally collapsed in the 1990s, Nelson Mandela proudly proclaimed the return of his country to the international community.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
But there’s one problem with proclaiming him the best signal-caller from the Class of ’24: His argument might’ve taken too long to really, truly get started.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Nov. 2024
President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, to commemorate the day.
—Mark Jones, The Arizona Republic, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for proclaim 
Dictionary Entries Near proclaim
Cite this Entry
“Proclaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proclaim. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proclaim
verb
Legal Definition
proclaim
transitive verb
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