Synonym Chooser

How does the verb promulgate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of promulgate are announce, declare, and proclaim. While all these words mean "to make known publicly," promulgate implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law.

promulgated an edict of religious toleration

When is it sensible to use announce instead of promulgate?

In some situations, the words announce and promulgate are roughly equivalent. However, announce implies the declaration of something for the first time.

announced their engagement at a party

In what contexts can declare take the place of promulgate?

Although the words declare and promulgate have much in common, declare implies explicitness and usually formality in making known.

the referee declared the contest a draw

When can proclaim be used instead of promulgate?

The meanings of proclaim and promulgate largely overlap; however, proclaim implies declaring clearly, forcefully, and authoritatively.

the president proclaimed a national day of mourning

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of promulgate The good news kept coming a week later, on Dec. 30, when Newark Federal Judge Leo Gordon promulgated his own 72-page opinion. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025 Contrast that with the current perception of American college campuses (and, to an extent, campuses across the wider world) constantly portrayed as rancorous battlegrounds in the culture wars, where dissenting ideas are often collateral damage, as are those promulgating them. Shaun Carver, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024 Wild's heyday express remorse for their part in promulgating the Francis method of infiltrating spring break towns and exploiting young, drunk women in the docuseries. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 Dec. 2024 Before any law is signed or regulation is promulgated, businesses will respond to those signals. Justin Worland, TIME, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for promulgate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for promulgate
Verb
  • This story was originally published February 8, 2025 at 9:58 PM.
    Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2025
  • The research was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
    Michael Irving, New Atlas, 9 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The school announced that Faulkner, along with other donors, gave gifts to the Camden Scholars Program.
    Lucas Frau, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Since Trump has taken office, Musk announced that USAID would shut down.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In 1998, the City of DeBary proclaimed the third Saturday in February to be Frederick deBary Day.
    Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Some have turned to social media to proclaim that loading the silverware basket by type of silverware is the ideal method for easy unloading.
    Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • There also was little pushback from the church in Rome: not until the late 1880's, Murphy said, would the Pope definitively declare slavery to be morally wrong.
    Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Although its exact origins are unclear, the quote is often attributed to Napoleon, the French general who effectively declared himself emperor in the early 1800s.
    Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 17 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Research suggests that about 50% of products advertised to Black women contain these types of chemicals, compared with about 7% that are advertised to White women, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
    Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
  • According to Variety, the website had been advertising its typical selection of merchandise and athleisure wear on Sunday, but all of those items were removed and replaced with the swastika shirt shortly after the ad aired.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025

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Thesaurus Entries Near promulgate

Cite this Entry

“Promulgate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/promulgate. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on promulgate

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