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declaration

noun
dec·​la·​ra·​tion | \ ˌde-klə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce declaration (audio) \

Definition of declaration

1 : the act of declaring : announcement
2a : the first pleading in a common-law action
b : a statement made by a party to a legal transaction usually not under oath
3a : something that is declared a declaration of love
b : a document containing such a declaration
Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about declaration

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Examples of declaration in a Sentence

The government has made a declaration of war on its enemies. The case was ended by declaration of a mistrial. You will need to make a declaration of your income.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 That emergency declaration came after Congress refused to allocate money for 230 miles of border fencing demanded by the president. — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, "Border wall will take $102 million from Alaska projects," 5 Sep. 2019 Federal emergency declarations have been approved for four states — Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina — and the governor of Virginia has also declared a state of emergency. — Alex Johnson, NBC News, "20 dead in Bahamas as Hurricane Dorian threatens historic floods in Carolinas," 5 Sep. 2019 DeSantis said the president approved a federal emergency declaration for Florida. — Christina Maxouris, CNN, "Florida residents asked to have a week's worth of supplies as Hurricane Dorian gets closer," 31 Aug. 2019 DeSantis also expanded an emergency declaration to cover the entire state, which will ease road restrictions and allow for more fuel to be transported to stations. — David Fleshler, sun-sentinel.com, "Hurricane Dorian’s latest path steers clear of most of South Florida," 31 Aug. 2019 The emergency declaration includes every county along Florida's Atlantic coast and some inland counties. — Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "How will Hurricane Dorian impact vacation spots like Destin, Hilton Head Island?," 29 Aug. 2019 President Donald Trump has approved a emergency declaration for Puerto Rico and ordered federal assistance for the territory to support local response. — Brian K. Sullivan, Fortune, "Hurricane Dorian Set to Lash Puerto Rico on Path to Florida," 28 Aug. 2019 The declaration came at the recommendation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee, which cited possible increased national and regional risks associated with the outbreak. — Time, "WHO Declares Ebola in Congo a Public-Health Emergency Nearly a Year After Outbreak," 17 July 2019 The current official global declaration comes after the WHO Emergency Committee’s fourth meeting on the matter since the outbreak occurred in August 2018. — Haleluya Hadero, Quartz Africa, "WHO has finally declared DR Congo’s Ebola crisis a global health emergency," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'declaration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of declaration

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for declaration

declaration

noun
How to pronounce declaration (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of declaration

: the act of making an official statement about something : the act of declaring something
: something that is stated or made known in an official or public way
: a document that contains an official statement : a document that makes a declaration

See the full definition for declaration in the English Language Learners Dictionary

declaration

noun
dec·​la·​ra·​tion | \ ˌde-klə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce declaration (audio) \

Kids Definition of declaration

1 : an act of formally or confidently stating something
2 : something formally or confidently stated or a document containing such a statement the Declaration of Independence

declaration

noun
dec·​la·​ra·​tion

Legal Definition of declaration

1 : the act of declaring declaration of dividends declaration of war
2a : the first pleading in a common-law action — compare complaint, indictment
b : a statement usually not under oath made by a party to a legal transaction the attorney must later sign an affidavit or declaration stating that he has informed the debtor— J. H. Williamson
c : a statement not under oath being offered as evidence
— declaration against interest
: a statement made by someone unavailable as a witness that is against that person's own interests (as pecuniary or property interests) or may subject that person to liability — compare admission, confession, self-incrimination

Note: A declaration against interest is an exception to the hearsay rule. If it is offered in a criminal case and tends to expose the declarant to criminal liability it is not admissible unless supported by corroborating circumstances that clearly indicate the trustworthiness of the statement.

— dying declaration
: a statement that is made by a person who firmly believes that he or she is about to die and has no hope of recovery and that concerns the circumstances or cause of the presumed death — compare excited utterance, res gestae

Note: Dying declarations are an exception to the hearsay rule and can be admitted as evidence only if the declarant is unavailable as a witness.

— self-serving declaration
: a statement made out of court that is in the declarant's own interest
— spontaneous declaration \ spän-​ˈtā-​nē-​əs-​ \
: an excited utterance that is made without time for fabrication

— called also spontaneous exclamation, spontaneous utterance

— compare res gestae

Note: Spontaneous declarations are exceptions to the hearsay rule under the excited utterance exception.

3 : something that is declared: as
a : a statement proclaiming the principles, aims, or policies of a group or government declaration of rights — compare constitution, proclamation
b : a statement of the value of prope

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