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Denounce

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to publicly declare to be wrong

Where does the word "denounce" come from? It comes from Latin denuntiare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
denuntiare
Latin · ancient
"to announce officially"
'de-' plus 'nuntiare', to announce
2
Stage 2 of 3
denoncier
Old French · medieval
"to proclaim"
French revolutionaries used 'dénoncer' for reporting suspected traitors
3
Stage 3 of 3
denounce
English · 1300s
"to proclaim"
the sense 'publicly condemn' dates from the 1600s
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Read the full story

Denounce’s story begins in Latin: denuntiare meant “to announce officially.” 'de-' plus 'nuntiare', to announce. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as denoncier. French revolutionaries used 'dénoncer' for reporting suspected traitors. It reached English by 1300s as denounce. The sense 'publicly condemn' dates from the 1600s. Today, denounce means to publicly declare to be wrong.