A
declaration of war is a formal declaration issued by a national
government indicating that a state of
war exists between that nation, and one or more others. For the
United States, Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution says "
Congress shall have power to ... declare War," however, that passage provides no specific format for what form
legislation text must have to be considered a "Declaration of War" nor does the Constitution itself use this term. Many have postulated "Declaration(s) of War" must contain that phrase as or within the title. Many oppose that reasoning. The postulate has not been tested in court; however, this article will use the term "formal Declaration of War" to mean Congressional legislation that uses the phrase "Declaration of War" in the title.
See more at Wikipedia.org...