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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Expect giggling and protestations as the frustrated comics have the best worst time of their lives. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025 Their protestations notwithstanding, that’s exactly the way Belichick and Hudson seem to want it. Steve Buckley, New York Times, 12 May 2025 Lamia doesn’t know that Bibi has gone into super-grandma mode after realizing the folly of her abandonment plan, parking herself in loud protestation at the police station. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 16 May 2025 For all his protestations that these were kids’ flicks, one of the beauties of the prequels was the sense that the director’s primary audience for all these films was himself. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for protestation

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Protestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protestation. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!