pronounce

verb

pro·​nounce prə-ˈnau̇n(t)s How to pronounce pronounce (audio)
pronounced; pronouncing

transitive verb

1
: to declare officially or ceremoniously
the minister pronounced them husband and wife
2
: to declare authoritatively or as an opinion
doctors pronounced him fit to resume duties
3
a
: to employ the organs of speech to produce
pronounce these words
especially : to say correctly
I can't pronounce his name
b
: to represent in printed characters the spoken counterpart of (an orthographic representation)
both dictionaries pronounce clique the same
4
: recite
speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to youWilliam Shakespeare

intransitive verb

1
: to pass judgment
2
: to produce the components of spoken language
pronounceability noun
pronounceable adjective
pronouncer noun

Examples of pronounce in a Sentence

She practices pronouncing foreign words. I'm sorry. I can't pronounce your name. The priest pronounced a blessing on their home. The doctors pronounced him fit to go back to work. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Many senators are pronouncing in favor of the bill. The judge pronounced for the defendant. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Two years later, DARPA pronounced the effort a failure. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023 Mooney was rushed to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, where he was pronounced dead. John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2023 Mooney was transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead just before midnight, the Massachusetts State Police said in a statement to CNN Monday. Amy Simonson, CNN, 19 Sep. 2023 First responders attempted to revive Mooney for 10 minutes before he was transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, where he was pronounced dead. Zach Mentz, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023 He was pronounced dead at Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan Friday afternoon, following the crash. Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023 One person was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was transported to a hospital for treatment. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 15 Sep. 2023 Cram was transported by emergency medical services to Kossuth Regional Health Center and pronounced dead. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2023 She was taken to Lawrence General Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later, the statement said. Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pronounce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French pronuncier, from Latin pronuntiare, from pro- forth + nuntiare to report, from nuntius messenger — more at pro-

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pronounce was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pronounce

Cite this Entry

“Pronounce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pronounce. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

pronounce

verb
pro·​nounce prə-ˈnau̇n(t)s How to pronounce pronounce (audio)
pronounced; pronouncing
1
: to state in an official or solemn way
I pronounce you husband and wife
the judge pronounced sentence
2
: to give as an opinion
pronounced the party a success
3
a
: to use the voice to make the sounds of
practice pronouncing foreign words
b
: to say or speak correctly
I can't pronounce your name
pronouncer noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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