▪ I. † proˈclaim, n. Obs. rare.
[f. proclaim v. So F. proclame, med.L. prōclāma a proclamation.]
The action of proclaiming; proclamation.
| 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) II. 12 Quhen the herald had maid his proclame, He tuke his leif, & syne he sped him hame. 1788 T. Taylor Proclus I. Dissert. 62 Axioms derive all their authority from intrinsic approbation, and not from public proclaim. 1820 Keats Hyperion i. 130 Voices of soft proclaim, and silver stir Of strings in hollow shells. |
▪ II. proclaim, v.
(prəʊˈkleɪm)
[ME. proclame, ad. L. prōclām-āre to cry out (esp. before a judge, in one's defence): see pro-1 and claim v. (whence altered to the present spelling). Cf. F. proclamer (1549 in Hatz.-Darm.).]
1. trans. To make official announcement of (something), by word of mouth in some public place; also, to cause this to be done by officers or agents. The object may be a n. or clause.
| c 1400 Mandeville (1839) Prol. 2 He wil make it to ben cryed & pronounced in the myddel place of a town; so þat the thing þat is proclamed..may euenly strecche to alle parties. c 1450 Merlin 577 The pardon that the legat hadde graunted and proclaymed thourgh all cristindom. 1535 Coverdale 2 Chron. xxxvi. 22 He caused it be proclamed thorow out all his empyre. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. v. 290 In haist the Nobilitie proclames a conuentioune in Skune, to sett another in his place. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 754 The winged Haralds..with..Trumpets sound..proclaim A solemn Councel forthwith to be held At Pandæmonium. 1722 Wollaston Relig. Nat. vi. 143 A lie is as much a lie, when it is whispered, as when it is proclaimed at the market-cross. 1853 J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. (1873) II. i. ii. 92 His titles were proclaimed by the voice of heralds and the applause of the Moslem. 1859 Tennyson Enid 552 Then Yniol's nephew, after trumpet blown,..proclaim'd, ‘Advance and take, as fairest of the fair..The prize of beauty’. |
b. to proclaim war: to make public declaration of war against another power (formerly also with between, to); to declare war. So to proclaim peace.
| 1496–7 Act 12 Hen. VII, c. 12 §6 Yf Warre be reared levyed and proclaymed betwene the seid realmes. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 269 Sebastian..proclameth warre to the Duke of Saxons people. 1606 G. W[oodcocke] Hist. Ivstine ii. 11 Sodainly they proclaimed open Warres against the Megarenses. 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 185 A French Gentleman..the same day had there proclaimed Peace. 1771 Junius Lett. lxiv. (1820) 326 The executive power proclaims war and peace. 1862 Ld. Brougham Brit. Const. App. ii. 411 The King in England can proclaim war, but without the sanction of Parliament his proclamation must immediately be retracted. |
c. To publish (the banns of marriage); also (Sc.) to proclaim the parties: cf. 2 c.
| 1588 in R. M. Fergusson Alex. Hume (1899) 182 Johnne..and Margaret..desyrit me..to proclame the said persones in this paroche kirk according to the order. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. iii. ii. 16 Hee'll wooe a thousand, point the day of marriage..and proclaime the banes. 1773 Erskine Inst. Law Scot. i. vi. §10. 88 The council of Trent..ordained bans to be proclaimed on three successive holidays, in the parish church or churches of the persons contracting; and this canon was adopted by our first Reformers, and hath been ever since observed by our church. 1893 New Eng. Dict. s.v. Cry vb. 5 d, To proclaim the marriage banns of. 1898 Tit-Bits 1 Oct. 1/1 The minister, after proclaiming the banns of matrimony between a young couple [etc.]. |
† d. Law. to proclaim a fine: to read a fine in open court in order to make it more public and less liable to be levied by fraud or covin: see fine n.1 6.
| 1483–4 Act 1 Rich. III, c. 7 §1 Þe Iustices of Assisez..do rede & proclayme the seid fyne openly and solemply in euery their Cession of Assises to be holde the same yere. 1489 Act 4 Hen. VII, c. 24. 1588–9 Act 31 Eliz. c. 2. 1766 Blackstone Comm. II. xxi. 352. |
2. To make official announcement of or concerning (a person or thing). a. With complement.
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. iv. lxxii. 50 For this victory his knyghtes proclaymed hym Emperour. Ibid. vi. clxxv. 172 They..conueyed the sayd .ii. children vnto the cytie of Ferrer, and there crowned and proclaymed theym for kynges. 1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII, c. 20 Preamble, One Archbold Armestrong wich was proclaymed a Rebell to the Kyng and Realme of Englonde. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 245 At this Parliament the kyng was Proclaymed kyng of Irelande, whiche name his predecessors neuer had. 1741 Middleton Cicero I. ii. 145 [They] loudly and universally proclamed Cicero the first Consul. 1858 Froude Hist. Eng. III. xiv. 204 When he found himself proclaimed a traitor. |
b. Without complement: Short for ‘to proclaim (a person) as a rebel or outlaw’. Also non-officially: To denounce (a person or thing).
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxxii. 67 And gar ȝour merchandis be discreit, That na extortiounes be, proclaime All fraud and schame. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. iv. 151, I will proclaime thee Angelo,..Ile tell the world aloud What man thou art. 1605 ― Lear ii. iii. 1, I heard my selfe proclaim'd, And by the happy hollow of a Tree, Escap'd the hunt. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian ix, I know and will proclaim you to the world. |
† c. To give public notice of (something) as lost or found; to give public notice of a marriage between (parties): see 1 c. Obs.
| 1531 Dial. on Laws Eng. ii. li. (1638) 157 Where beasts stray away.., and they be taken up and proclaimed. |
d. To proclaim the accession of (a sovereign).
| 1714 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to W. Montagu 9 Aug., I went..to-day to see the King proclaimed. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 588 On the morning of the twentieth of June he was proclaimed in the market place of Taunton. 1874 Green Short Hist. vii. §2. 354 The new sovereign was proclaimed on Edward's death. |
e. To place (a district, country, etc.) under legal restrictions by proclamation: spec. under the provisions of the various Peace Preservation (Ireland) Acts of 1881 and following years.
| 1881 [see proclaimed 2]. 1885 Daily Tel. 29 Oct. 5/2 In the interest of trade we stamp out other diseases of animals, not scrupling to ‘proclaim’ whole counties, and put the community to serious inconvenience for the general good. 1887 Times 28 July 8 Every part of Ireland is proclaimed. |
f. To denounce or prohibit by proclamation; to forbid publicly or openly.
| 1888 Sat. Rev. 14 Apr. 444/2 O, meet me by moonlight alone, Since our meetings by day are proclaimed. |
3. transf. To declare publicly; to make known aloud or openly; to publish. Const. as in 1, 2 a.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 179 Whanne he made a governour..He wolde ferst enquere his name, And let it openly proclame What man he were, or evel or good. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 337 b, They haue openly proclaimed that nothing be said a misse against him. 1577 Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619) 203, It shall be expedient that these our writings be euerie where proclaimed. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl., Disc. (1848) 61 If..the Man is happy whose sins God is pleas'd to cover; what may that Man be accounted whose Graces he vouchsafes to proclaim? 1764 Goldsm. Trav. 66 The shudd'ring tenant of the frigid zone Boldly proclaims that happiest spot his own. 1784 Cowper Task v. 857 In vain thy creatures testify of thee, Till Thou proclaim thyself. 1867 J. Martineau Ess. II. 3 Sir John Herschel..proclaims the need of a better logic. 1874 Green Short Hist. v. §5. 250 He proclaims a righteous life to be better than a host of indulgences. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 164 You proclaim in the face of Hellas that you are a Sophist. |
4. fig. Of things: To make known or manifest; to intimate, prove.
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. liii. §2 The true beliefe which maketh a man happie proclaymeth iointly God and man. 1602 Shakes. Ham. i. iii. 72 The Apparell oft proclaimes the man. 1611 ― Wint. T. v. ii. 42 Many other Euidences, proclayme her,..to be the Kings Daughter. a 1678 Marvell Bermudas 28 He..makes the hollow seas, that roar, Proclaim the ambergris on shoar. c 1704 Prior Henry & Emma 242 His steps proclaim no lover's haste. 1757 Gray Bard iii. ii, Her eye proclaims her of the Briton-Line. 1813 Scott Rokeby i. vii, Then did his silence long proclaim A struggle between fear and shame. |
5. intr. To make proclamation or public announcement. lit. and fig.
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur viii. xxxix. 334 He proclamed in al Cornewaile of alle the aduentures of these two knyghtes; so was hit openly knowen. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iv. iv. 27 But that her tender shame Will not proclaime against her maiden losse, How might she tongue me? |
Hence proˈclaiming vbl. n. and ppl. a. Whence proˈclaimingly adv., in a way that proclaims or announces.
| 1588–9 Act 31 Eliz. c. 2 Scarclye one daye in euerie Terme can be spared for the proclaymynge of Fynes. a 1716 South Serm. (1727) VI. xi. 372 Is not the Piety and Obedience of our Lives a proclaiming of God to be our King? 1880 G. Meredith Tragic Com. iv. (1892) 49 Not the less were they proclaimingly alight and in full blaze. |