Predeclaration

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An act of formally stating or announcing something before it occurs; a preliminary declaration that establishes intent or provides information in advance; an advance statement made prior to a main declaration or event
2. A prior formal announcement made ahead of time; an initial proclamation intended to inform or prepare for what is to come; an early statement declared before a subsequent or main declaration
3. The process or result of declaring something in advance; an anticipatory statement expressing intention or facts before their actual occurrence; a preparatory declaration made as a precursor to a full announcement

Etymology: "Predeclaration" is a plain compound: the Latin prefix "prae-", meaning "before", attached to "declaration". The prefix "pre-" reached English through Latin and French, and it has been attached to English words freely for centuries, which is why "predeclaration" reads as a transparent formation rather than a word with a dramatic past. The base word "declaration" carries the older history. It comes from the Latin "declarare", meaning to make clear or to set forth in plain terms, built from "de-" (thoroughly) and "clarare" (to make clear, from "clarus", bright). So a declaration is literally an act of making something bright and visible to others, and a predeclaration is one that makes something visible in advance.

Synonyms: prior declaration, advance notice, forewarning, preannouncement