denounce
dih-NOUNS
/dɪˈnaʊns/
To publicly declare to be wrong or evil; to inform against someone.
Denounce is a public act of accusation. It is performed before an audience to expose wrongdoing and rally others against the offender.
The story behind the word. Denounce comes from the Latin 'denuntiare', made of 'de-' (down, completely) and 'nuntiare' (to report or announce). In Roman law, it meant to formally announce a threat or a legal summons, which evolved into our modern sense of public accusation.
Word relationships
- condemn: Condemn is the final judgment of wrongness, while denounce is the active, public proclamation of that wrongness.
- accuse: Accuse is to charge someone with a specific crime, while denounce is to declare their character or actions as morally evil.
- champion: To champion is to vigorously support or defend a cause or person publicly, the exact opposite of denouncing them.
Commonly confused with
- renounce: To renounce is to give up a claim, title, or belief. To denounce is to publicly accuse or condemn someone else's actions.
Word family
- denunciation (noun): The public condemnation of someone or something.
- denouncer (noun): A person who publicly accuses or condemns.
Collocations
- publicly denounce
- denounce as a traitor
- denounce the violence
Example sentences
- "The activists gathered outside the headquarters to denounce the company's environmental record." A public protest against corporate greed.
- "Under the paranoid regime, neighbors were encouraged to denounce each other to the secret police." A historical betrayal during a dictatorship.
Memory hook
To 'de-nounce' is to make a 'noun' (a name) out of someone's bad behavior in public. You are 'naming' their evil. Announce the bad to denounce it.
When not to use
Do not use for private, quiet, or personal corrections; it requires a public or official platform.
Fun facts
- In international diplomacy, when one country 'denounces' a treaty, it is a formal, legal declaration that they will no longer abide by its terms.
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