disclosure

American  

[dih-skloh-zher] / dɪˈskloʊ ʒər /

noun

• disclosures
  plural

1. the act or an instance of disclosing; exposure; revelation.

2. that which is disclosed; a revelation.

3. Patent Law. (in a patent application) the descriptive information imparted by the specification claims, drawings, and models submitted.

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disclosure British  

/ dɪsˈkləʊʒə /

noun

1. something that is disclosed

2. the act of disclosing; revelation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondisclosure
  noun
• predisclosure
  noun
• self-disclosure
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disclosures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of disclosure

First recorded in 1590–1600; disclose + -ure

Compare meaning

How does disclosure compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• disclaimer vs. disclosure

Explanation

If you make a disclosure, you reveal information not previously known — either because it's new information or because it's been kept secret. Disclosure of new evidence at a trial could reveal that the accused is innocent of the crime. The noun disclosure derives from the Old French word desclos, meaning "open, exposed, plain, explicit." If you make a disclosure, you put something out in the open, usually information that was formally secret. After the disclosure of your huge credit card debt, your parents might make you get a job. The disclosure that nicotine is really addictive has motivated many people to quit smoking. The disclosure of one coworker's salary to another could lead to bitter jealousy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disclosure disclosures

Related parties have business or personal ties and transactions between them can have legitimate reasons, but they also pose potential conflicts of interest and require disclosure and typically extra regulatory scrutiny.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

He added that the health board had taken "a 'one-size-fits-all' approach when withholding information, failing to carefully consider the case for and against disclosure".

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Nick previously covered corporate disclosure news for Dow Jones Newswires as a wires editor and reporter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Her disclosure came as speculation mounts over her political future.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Though the brief exchange over the Mecklenburg Declaration touched on these significant differences of opinion, the diplomatic imperatives of the dialogue ruled out full disclosure.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

The disclosures were included in the mandatory end-of-quarter 13F filings provided by the San Francisco-headquartered fund, and the heavy concentration in just two companies, in closely-related sectors raises uncomfortable questions about risk management practices.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Frenkel said its interest could revolve around how Guggenheim Investments, Walter’s asset management firm, booked revenue from its dealings with the insurers and the disclosures of the transactions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

The MS analysts warn that the outlook for mortgages is uncertain amid coming changes to property-related tax concessions, and say that major lenders’ disclosures around home loans have been limited.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Financial market disclosures made by Situational Awareness, the once-soaring hedge fund that had to liquidate its portfolio of stocks, moved a stock on Wednesday.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

It seemed I could hear all that was to come—whatever the disclosures might be—with comparative tranquillity.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

• acknowledgment
• admission
• confession
• discovery
• exposure
• leak
• publication