1. (n.) The act of making a protest; a public avowal; a solemn declaration, especially of dissent.
2. (n.) Formerly, a declaration in common-law pleading, by which the party interposes an oblique allegation or denial of some fact, protesting that it does or does not exist, and at the same time avoiding a direct affirmation or denial.
Thesaurus Entries
affirmance, affirmation, alibi, allegation, announcement, annunciation, apology, assertion, asseveration, averment, avouchment, avowal, beef, bitch, blind, boycott, challenge, cloak, color, complaint, compunction, conclusion, cover, cover story, cover-up, creed, declaration, demonstration, demur, demurrer, device, dictum, enunciation, exception, excuse, expostulation, facade, feint, front, gloss, grievance, grievance committee, guise, handle, howl, indignation meeting, ipse dixit, kick, lame excuse, locus standi, manifesto, march, mask, nonviolent protest, objection, ostensible motive, picketing, poor excuse, position, position paper, positive declaration, predicate, predication, pretense, pretension, pretext, proclamation, profession, pronouncement, proposition, protest, protest demonstration, public motive, put-off, qualm, rally, refuge, remonstrance, remonstration, say, say-so, saying, screen, scruple, semblance, sham, show, sit-in, smoke screen, squawk, stalking-horse, stance, stand, statement, stratagem, strike, subterfuge, teach-in, trick, utterance, varnish, veil, vouch, word
