Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

declare war

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.03 in modern English

Syllables: de-clare war
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make a formal pronouncement, or sign a legal document, that initiates a state of war between one nation and another, usually before hostilities begin.

verb

To announce one's intention to fiercely combat or eradicate something.

Example Sentences

"Germany declared war on France, who reciprocated, on August 3 [1939], and England declared war on Germany on August 4, when Belgium was already under invasion."
"The governor declared war on poverty."
"Leo Lillard, a Nashville native attending Tennessee State University, had become involved in the sit-ins as soon as they started. It was no longer just the students, it was clear that the town had declared war on racism."

Inflected Forms

declares war (present, singular) declaring war (participle, present) declared war (participle, past) declared war (past)

Questions

What does declare war mean?: To make a formal pronouncement, or sign a legal document, that initiates a state of war between one nation and another, usually before hostilities begin.

How to pronounce declare war

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “declare war”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “declare war”.
Repeat and practice — Say “declare war” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.