de·nounce / diˈnouns/ • v. [tr.] publicly declare to be wrong or evil: the Assembly denounced the use of violence he was widely denounced as a traitor. ∎  inform against: some of his own priests denounced him to the King for heresy.DERIVATIVES: de·nounce·ment n.de·nounc·er n.ORIGIN: Middle English (originally in the sense ‘proclaim, announce,’ also ‘proclaim someone to be wicked, cursed, a rebel, etc.’): from Old French denoncier, from Latin denuntiare ‘give official information,’ based on nuntius ‘messenger.’

denounce declare to be XIII; give formal information of XIV; declare to be evil XVII; (after modF.) announce formally the termination of XIX. — OF. denoncier (mod. dénoncer) :- L. dēnuntiāre give official intimation, f. DE- 3 + nuntiāre make known, report.