proclaim himself as

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "proclaim himself as" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct usage would be "proclaim himself" without the "as." Example: "He decided to proclaim himself the leader of the group."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

By 1750 he had sufficiently consolidated his power to proclaim himself as vakīl (regent) for the Ṣafavid Esmāʿīl III.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Carrey took the opportunity to proclaim himself as a dramatic actor, rather than being typecast in comedic roles.

Wikipedia

According to former classmates and teachers, the 20-year-old was fascinated with Nazism and white supremacy and would openly "proclaim himself as a Nazi".

Vice

On the same day of mid-January 1651, however, several officers of the White Banners led by former Dorgon supporter Ubai arrested Dorgon's brother Ajige for fear he would proclaim himself as the new regent; Ubai and his officers then named themselves presidents of several Ministries and prepared to take charge of the government.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Mr Bouteflika has craftily proclaimed himself as the nation's football-fan-in-chief.

The Economist

With the symphony, Mr. Taubman wrote, Mr. Lees "proclaims himself as a composer of marked individuality".

The New York Times

At the end of the segment, Mr. Stewart staged a small coup d'état, forcing Mr. Youssef out from behind his desk, and then proclaimed himself as the new host of "Al Bernameg".

The New York Times

In 1789 Loṭf ʿAlī Khān (ruled 1789 94) proclaimed himself as the new Zand king and took energetic action to put down a rebellion led by Āghā Moḥammad Khān Qājār that had begun at Karīm Khān's death.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Mr Maliki proclaimed himself as the restorer of Iraqi sovereignty, though he has not completely closed the door to American instructors and plans to visit the White House in December to discuss the future.

The Economist

He later proclaimed himself as "a choice for freedom".

Wikipedia

Like our president-elect who proclaimed himself as much, America is a mutt; indeed is comprised of mutts.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for grammatical precision, avoid using "as" after "proclaim himself". The correct form is "proclaim himself" followed by the attribute or title. For instance, instead of "proclaim himself as the leader", write "proclaim himself the leader".

Common error

A frequent mistake is adding "as" after "proclaim himself". This is grammatically redundant. Remove "as" to maintain correct usage: "He proclaimed himself king", not "He proclaimed himself as king".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "proclaim himself as" functions as a declarative expression, where an individual publicly and formally announces their self-attributed identity, role, or status. Although common, Ludwig AI shows that grammatically the word "as" is misplaced.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Encyclopedias

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "proclaim himself as" is found across various sources, including news articles, encyclopedias, and wikis, it's considered grammatically incorrect. The correct form, as noted by Ludwig AI, is to omit "as" and directly follow "proclaim himself" with the proclaimed attribute or title. Alternatives like "declare himself" are grammatically preferred. The phrase generally serves to assert a self-defined identity or role, carrying a formal or neutral tone depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

declare himself

Omits "as", correcting the grammatical error while retaining the core meaning of self-declaration.

announce himself as

Uses "announce" instead of "proclaim", providing a slightly less formal tone, but maintains the self-declaration aspect with "as".

style himself as

Indicates a deliberate choice of self-representation, implying a crafted persona.

present himself as

Focuses on the act of showing or offering oneself in a particular role or identity.

identify himself as

Highlights the alignment or association of oneself with a specific group or characteristic.

profess to be

Implies a claim of being something, often with an element of belief or pretense.

assert himself to be

Emphasizes a confident or forceful declaration of one's identity or role.

represent himself as

Focuses on portraying oneself in a certain manner, often with the implication of acting or performance.

nominate himself as

Suggests a formal or official act of self-appointment or selection.

deem himself

Suggests an opinion or judgement about his capabilities.

FAQs

How should I correctly use the phrase "proclaim himself"?

The correct usage is to follow "proclaim himself" directly with the title, role, or attribute being claimed, without using "as". For example, "He proclaimed himself king" is correct.

What's a grammatically sound alternative to "proclaim himself as"?

A better alternative is to use "declare himself", followed by the attribute or title. For instance, you can say "He declared himself the winner".

Is it ever correct to use "as" after the word proclaim?

Yes, it is acceptable when proclaim is not followed by the word himself. For instance, "The event was proclaimed as a success" is correct, but not when referring to someone proclaiming something about themselves.

What is the difference between "proclaim himself" and "announce himself as"?

"Proclaim himself" implies a more formal and often public declaration, while "announce himself as" can be a simpler, less ceremonious statement.