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undeclared

C2
Uncommon

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ˌʌndɪklˈeəd/

US

  • /əndɪˈklɛrd/

Meanings

Adjective

  1. not stated, admitted, or officially announced

  2. not having chosen an academic major

  3. not reported on an official form or to authorities

Beyond the definition

Something that's undeclared hasn't been openly announced, reported, or made official. Think of a secret stash of cookies: it's undeclared until someone admits it's there. The word is often used for things like income on your taxes, goods at customs, or feelings you haven't shared with anyone. In college, a student can be undeclared, meaning they have not chosen a specific major yet.

The word often suggests that some kind of statement or report was expected, but it did not happen. Sometimes the thing is hidden on purpose, and sometimes it is simply not official yet. For example, an undeclared war is fighting that happens without a formal announcement of war.

Examples

  1. 1

    College major

    When I started college, I was still undeclared, so I took classes in several subjects.

    • Domainin college, be undeclared

      not have chosen your main subject yet

  2. 2

    Customs

    She was stopped at the airport for carrying undeclared goods in her suitcase.

  3. 3

    Tax income

    The tax office is investigating him for undeclared income.

  4. 4

    Labor law

    The restaurant was fined for employing undeclared workers.

    • Domainundeclared workers

      workers not officially registered with the government

More examples
  1. 5

    Military conflict

    For years, the two countries were involved in an undeclared war.

    • Phraseundeclared war

      fighting without an official declaration of war

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • undeclared income
  • undeclared goods
  • undeclared major
  • undeclared war

Word family

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Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • undeclaredadjective