declare
dih-KLAIR
/dɪˈklɛər/
To make a formal statement of taxable income or goods on which duty is payable.
Declaring income is a legal requirement; failing to declare income can lead to charges of tax evasion.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'declarare', meaning 'to make quite clear' (from 'de-' 'thoroughly' + 'clarus' 'clear'). When you declare your taxes, you are making your financial situation completely clear to the state.
Word relationships
- disclose: Disclose means to make secret information known, while declare is to make an official, formal statement of facts.
- report: Report is a general term for presenting information, whereas declare carries a specific legal obligation of truthfulness.
- conceal: Conceal is to hide or keep secret, which is the opposite of declaring.
Commonly confused with
- assert: Assert is to state a belief strongly, while declare is to make an official statement of fact or legal status.
Word family
- declaration (noun): A formal or explicit statement.
- declarative (adjective): Making a statement.
Collocations
- declare income
- declare assets
- nothing to declare
- formally declare
Example sentences
- "You must declare all interest earned on your savings accounts." Savings Account Terms
Memory hook
When you declare, you make your income 'clear' to the government. Make your income clear.
When not to use
Do not use to mean a casual opinion; declaring in a tax context has legal weight and requires documentation.
Fun facts
- When customs officers ask 'Do you have anything to declare?', they are asking if you are carrying goods that exceed tax-free limits, a practice that dates back to ancient trade ports.
Explore more words
disclose, proclamation, disclosure, plead, statement, testify
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