[pro.nounce] vb pro.nounced ; pro.nounc.ing [ME, fr. MF prononcier, fr. L pronuntiare, fr. pro- forth + nuntiare to report, fr. nuntius messenger--more at pro-] vt (14c) 1: to declare officially or ceremoniously "the minister pronounced them husband and wife"
2: to declare authoritatively or as an opinion "doctors pronounced him fit to resume duties" 3 a: to employ the organs of speech to produce "~ these words"; esp: to say correctly "I can't ~ his name" b: to represent in printed characters the spoken counterpart of (an orthographic representation) "both dictionaries ~ clique the same"
4: recite "speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you --Shak." ~ vi 1: to pass judgment
2: to produce the components of spoken language -- pro.nounce.abil.i.ty n -- pro.nounce.able adj -- pro.nounc.er n