Recorded since c.1330 as Middle English pronouncen, from Old French prononcier, from Latin prōnūntiō, itself from prō- + nūntiō ("I announce") from nūntius ("messenger").

• (America, RP) IPA: /pɹəˈnaʊns/

pronounce (pronounces, present participle pronouncing; simple past and past participle pronounced)

1. (transitive) To declare formally, officially or ceremoniously.
   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:

     Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […] , down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.

   I hereby pronounce you man and wife.

2. (transitive) To declare authoritatively, or as a formal expert opinion.

   The doctor pronounced them legally dead.

   • 2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children's Books, →ISBN:

     “If any pupil considers it acceptable to bring a pet into this school, let me tell you it is forbidden. Strictly forbidden!” pronounced the headmaster from the front of the class.

   1. (transitive) To pronounce dead.
      • 2015, April 30, Carol H. Allan, David R. Fowler (medical examiners), Freddie Gray autopsy: excerpt from the report, published in The Baltimore Sun, June 24, 2015

        Despite resuscitative efforts, Mr. Gray was pronounced on 4/19/2015.

3. (intransitive) To pass judgment.

   The judge had pronounced often before, but never in front of such a crowd.

4. (transitive) To sound out (a word or phrase); to articulate.
   • 1869, Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, page 182:

     They spell it "Vinci" and pronounce it "Vinchy". Foreigners always spell better than they pronounce.

   1. (in passive) To sound like.

      The Icelandic double l in Eyjafjallajökull is pronounced tl.

5. (intransitive) To produce the components of speech.

   Actors must be able to pronounce perfectly or deliberately disabled.

6. (transitive) To read aloud.

• pronouncement
• pronunciation

• French: déclarer
• German: verkünden
• Italian: dichiarare
• Portuguese: declarar
• Russian: объявля́ть

• Russian: объявля́ть

• Italian: emettere

• French: prononcer
• German: aussprechen, pronunzieren
• Italian: pronunziare, pronunciare
• Portuguese: pronunciar
• Russian: произноси́ть
• Spanish: pronunciar

• German: aussprechen
• Russian: произноси́ть

• French: déclamer, lire