Dictionary

declare war en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (of a governmental authority) 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.
   • 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. 2007, Carlos Ramirez-Faria, Concise Encyclopaedia of World History:
2. (figuratively) To announce one's intention to fiercely combat or eradicate something.
   • 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. 2011, Henry Hampton, Steve Fayer, Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement:
   • The governor declared war on poverty.

Forms

Translations (32)

ca declarar la guerra (initiate a state of war) · de den Krieg erklären (initiate a state of war) · fi julistaa sota (initiate a state of war) · pl wypowiadać wojnę (initiate a state of war) · cmn 宣戰 /宣战 (announce one's intention to fiercely combat or eradicate something) · sv deklarera krig (initiate a state of war) · fi julistaa sota (announce one's intention to fiercely combat or eradicate something) · es declarar la guerra (initiate a state of war) · hy պատերազմ հայտարարել (initiate a state of war) · ko 선전포고하다 (initiate a state of war) · hu hadat üzen (initiate a state of war) · tr savaş açmak (initiate a state of war) · vi tuyên chiến (initiate a state of war) · nl de oorlog verklaren (initiate a state of war) · ang cweþan ġefeoht (initiate a state of war) · nrf dêcliather la dgèrre (initiate a state of war) · vo sagön krigi (initiate a state of war) · be аб'явіць вайну (initiate a state of war) · ro declara război (initiate a state of war) · ja 宣戦布告する (initiate a state of war) · pl wypowiedzieć wojnę (announce one's intention to fiercely combat or eradicate something) · cmn 宣戰 /宣战 (initiate a state of war) · ca declarar la guerra (announce one's intention to fiercely combat or eradicate something) · pl wypowiedzieć wojnę (initiate a state of war) · pl wypowiadać wojnę (announce one's intention to fiercely combat or eradicate something) · fr déclarer la guerre (initiate a state of war) · pt declarar guerra (initiate a state of war) · vi tuyên bố chiến tranh (initiate a state of war) · ru объяви́ть войну́ (initiate a state of war) · be абвясціць вайну (initiate a state of war) · tr savaş ilan etmek (initiate a state of war) · lt paskelbti karą (initiate a state of war)