Both declare and proclaim may be used to mean state something clearly /tell people something.
- After the match, the winner was declared.
- Hugh declared that he was in no way involved in the dealings.
- The President proclaimed general amnesty as soon as he was elected.
- In 1804, Napoleon proclaimed himself Emperor.
While both words are generally used in formal contexts, proclaim is the “more formal” of the two. Proclaiming is always done in public, in a loud, noticeable way, while declaration may involve only the speaker and one listener:
- When they were finally left alone, Mr Darcy declared his love for Elizabeth.
- Janet declared to everyone that she is going to take evening classes.
Declare is also used when talking about taxes. If you declare that you have bought something in another country, or declare that you have earned money, you will have to pay tax on it:
- Do you have anything to declare?
(This question is asked when someone is crossing the border between two countries and the officials want to know if the traveler has any taxable items with him or her.) - Each year, you have to declare your income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The verb announce also means “stating something”. It is often used when people need to be informed of something expected in the future.
- Suzy and Dean announced their engagement on Facebook.
- We regret to announce that Selena Gomez has cancelled her upcoming European tour.
- The CEO is planning to announce her resignation.
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