announce

announce — verb

1. to formally share news, a plan, or a decision with the public, usually through a

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to formally share news, a plan, or a decision with the public, usually through a speech, statement, or media report so that everyone learns about it at the same time.

Example

The mayor announced a new bus route during her speech at City Hall.

announce + noun (a decision or plan)

Sony announced that the new headphones will go on sale in June.

announce + that-clause

Common collocations
  • announce a decision
  • announce the results
  • announce the winner
  • announce plans
  • formally announce
  • publicly announce
  • officially announce
Synonyms
  • declare

    more formal; often for official statements like war or independence

  • reveal

    stresses that the information was previously hidden or secret

  • proclaim

    very formal or literary; suggests loud, important public statement

Antonyms
  • conceal

    to actively hide information rather than share it

Grammar Patterns

announce + noun (decision, plan, results)

announce + that-clause

announce + wh-clause

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person, organization, or institution with the authority to share the news (a leader, company, government). The information shared is typically new, official, or planned in advance.

Common Mistakes

He announced me the news.
He announced the news to me.
'announce' uses the pattern 'announce something to someone', not the double-object pattern.

2. to say something firmly and clearly so that everyone in the room can hear, often

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to say something firmly and clearly so that everyone in the room can hear, often to make sure people pay attention to what you have decided or feel strongly about.

Example

Lucas walked into the kitchen and announced that he was becoming a vegetarian.

announce + that-clause for a personal decision

'I'm not going to school today,' Hannah announced from the top of the stairs.

announce + direct speech (firm tone)

Common collocations
  • announce loudly
  • announce proudly
  • suddenly announce
  • announce to the room
Synonyms
  • declare

    very similar but slightly more formal and serious

  • proclaim

    stronger and more dramatic; often used for emotional statements

Antonyms
  • whisper

    to say something very softly, the opposite of speaking loudly

Grammar Patterns

announce + that-clause

announce + direct speech

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is informal and personal, usually for a small audience, while sense 1 is for official news shared with the public. Often used with a strong manner verb earlier in the sentence (marched, stood up, walked in).

Common Mistakes

He announced quietly that he was leaving.
He whispered that he was leaving.
'announce' in this sense suggests a loud or firm voice, so it does not pair well with quiet manner adverbs.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs share the idea of telling people something, but the social context differs. 'Announce' is the everyday choice for sharing official news, plans, or results — a company announces a product, a school announces exam dates. 'Declare' feels heavier and more formal: countries declare war, juries declare a winner, travelers declare goods at customs. 'Reveal' adds the flavor of secrecy lifting — the information was hidden until now, as in 'The detective revealed the killer's name.' 'Proclaim' is the most dramatic and old-fashioned, used for grand statements like 'The king proclaimed a national holiday.' For ordinary B1 contexts (companies, schools, governments sharing news), 'announce' is the safest, most natural verb.

announce ↗declare ↗reveal ↗proclaim ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • pleased to announce
  • regret to announce
  • delighted to announce

Prepositions

  • announce to (someone)
  • announce on (a website / TV)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word came into English in the 1400s from Old French 'anoncier', meaning 'to make known'. That word came from Latin 'annuntiare', formed from 'ad-' (to, toward) and 'nuntiare' (to report or tell), which itself came from 'nuntius' meaning 'messenger'. So at its root, to announce is literally to bring a message to someone.