protestation

noun

pro·​tes·​ta·​tion ˌprä-tə-ˈstā-shən How to pronounce protestation (audio)
ˌprō-,
-ˌte-
: the act of protesting : a solemn declaration or avowal

Examples of protestation in a Sentence

Despite his protestations to the contrary, he appears to be guilty. the governor went on television to make a passionate protestation of his innocence in the bribery scandal
Recent Examples on the Web As Sister James gets caught in the middle, between Aloysius’ suspicions and Flynn’s protestations of innocence, and does not know what or whom to believe, so is the crowd watching inside the theater. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 However, his protestations don’t address the essential reason for the verdict or the size of the fine. Erik Sherman, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Washington long held, against Saudi protestations, that the Houthis didn’t or couldn’t possibly pose a significant threat beyond Yemen. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2024 Against weak protestations from everyone — including Nicole Kidman, returning as his mother — Aquaman teams up with Orm to save his family and the world. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Dec. 2023 But our frequent protestations that democracy is fragile and that freedom, as Ronald Reagan said, is always one generation away from extinction is not very appealing to people around the world. TIME, 9 Jan. 2024 In hindsight, their relatively mild protestations about the Vietnam War and other issues seem simply to have mirrored changing public sentiment. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Dec. 2023 The most touching of protestations came from Bryan Cranston, who stepped up to the microphone at a SAG-AFTRA rally in Times Square, on July 25th. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023 That meant that 50 million to 60 million viewers were watching in real time, and arguing it out on Monday morning around the water cooler, generating praise and protestations from progressives and conservatives alike. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'protestation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of protestation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near protestation

Cite this Entry

“Protestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protestation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

protestation

noun
pro·​tes·​ta·​tion ˌprät-əs-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce protestation (audio)
ˌprō-ˌtes-
1
: the act of protesting
2
: a positive declaration
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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