declared

Declared is the past tense and past participle of declare. As a verb, it means to announce or state something formally or publicly, such as a policy, fact, or intention. As an adjective, it describes something that has been officially announced, acknowledged, or legally established, for example a declared goal, a declared emergency, or declared assets in a document.

Etymology and usage: The word comes from the verb declare, itself from the Latin declarare, formed from de- “from” or “out” and clarare “to make clear.” In everyday and formal English, declared is used across domains to mark official status or assertion.

Political and legal contexts: Declared is often paired with statuses that require formal proclamation, such as declared war, declared independence, or a declared state of emergency. In governance, statements or positions may be described as declared by a government or organization.

Commerce, taxation, and finance: In trade and taxation, declared figures are those reported to authorities or observers, such as declared value of goods for customs or declared income on a tax return. In corporate finance, dividends declared by a company’s board are payments that have been formally announced but not yet paid. The term signals compliance with or acknowledgment of standards or regulations.

Computing and data: In programming, a declared variable or function is one that has been introduced to a program before use, establishing its name and type. This technical use helps distinguish between objects that exist in code and those that are yet to be defined.

Related terms include declaration, declarative, and declare. Declared therefore conveys formal acknowledgment, public announcement, or legally recognized status.