- (v.i.) To speak rhetorically; to make a formal speech or oration; to harangue; specifically, to recite a speech, poem, etc., in public as a rhetorical exercise; to practice public speaking; as, the students declaim twice a week.
- (v.i.) To speak for rhetorical display; to speak pompously, noisily or theatrically; to make an empty speech; to rehearse trite arguments in debate; to rant.
- (v.t.) To utter in public; to deliver in a rhetorical or set manner.
- (v.t.) To defend by declamation; to advocate loudly.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). declaim. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/declaim/definitions/1995020 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "declaim" http://smartdefine.org/declaim/definitions/1995020 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, declaim, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/declaim/definitions/1995020>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "declaim" 27 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/declaim/definitions/1995020> |