The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Declaration \Dec`la*ra"tion\, n. [F. d['e]claration, fr. L.
declaratio, fr. declarare. See Declare.]
1. The act of declaring, or publicly announcing; explicit
asserting; undisguised token of a ground or side taken on
any subject; proclamation; exposition; as, the declaration
of an opinion; a declaration of war, etc.
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2. That which is declared or proclaimed; announcement;
distinct statement; formal expression; avowal.
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Declarations of mercy and love . . . in the Gospel.
--Tillotson.
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3. The document or instrument containing such statement or
proclamation; as, the Declaration of Independence (now
preserved in Washington).
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In 1776 the Americans laid before Europe that noble
Declaration, which ought to be hung up in the
nursery of every king, and blazoned on the porch of
every royal palace. --Buckle.
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4. (Law) That part of the process or pleadings in which the
plaintiff sets forth in order and at large his cause of
complaint; the narration of the plaintiff's case
containing the count, or counts. See Count, n., 3.
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Declaration of Independence. (Amer. Hist.) See Declaration
of Independence in the vocabulary. See also under
Independence.
Declaration of rights. (Eng. Hist) See Bill of rights,
under Bill.
Declaration of trust (Law), a paper subscribed by a grantee
of property, acknowledging that he holds it in trust for
the purposes and upon the terms set forth. --Abbott.
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