denounce
/dɪˈnaʊns/
verb
Origin
Latin
denuntiare — proclaim, announce, threaten
Overview
Meaning Now
- To publicly declare something to be wrong or evil.
- To inform against someone; to accuse formally.
Literal older meaning
To speak against or bring a formal accusation.
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
denouncer
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originates from the Roman legal practice of 'denuntiatio,' a formal declaration of intent or accusation before a magistrate. By the Middle Ages, the meaning shifted from a neutral announcement to a condemnatory one.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
denuntiare
“to proclaim officially, give notice”
- Old French
denoncier
“to declare, accuse”
Introduced via legal and administrative contexts.
- Middle English
denouncen
“to proclaim, formally accuse”
Adopted into Middle English from Old French.
- Modern English
denounce
“to condemn publicly”
Current standard usage.
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
away, off, or intensifying
nounce
root
to proclaim or announce
Related across languages
French
dénoncer
to denounce, to report
Spanish
denunciar
to report, to denounce
Related words
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Related to denounce
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.