disclose
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
to make (information) known
-
to allow to be seen; lay bare
Related Words
See reveal.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disclose
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English disclosen, desclosen, from Old French desclos-, stem of desclore, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + clore “to close,” from Latin claudere; see close
Explanation
Disclose means to reveal or expose information that has previously been kept a secret — like a politician might be forced to disclose his finances or former scandals while running for office. When a politician, corporate executive, or celebrity announces that he or she has something to disclose, the public listens. They know that the information they're about to hear was kept secret for a reason. Something incriminating or juicy is about to be revealed, like a secret affair or plummeting company profits.
Vocabulary lists containing disclose
Case Closed: Clud, Clus
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A Christmas Carol
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The Launch of Sputnik 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The total number of people arrested in connection with the attack stands at eight, including a 30-year-old man who has since been charged with failing to disclose information relating to terrorist activity.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Under Lund, BP chief executive Bob Dudley departed in early 2020, replaced by Bernard Looney, who was sacked over his failure to disclose past relationships with colleagues.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
So far NYU Langone Health is the only hospital system to publicly disclose its receipt of the subpoena, done in compliance with New York’s shield law that requires disclosure within 30 days.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
And Murray Bartlett, the doomed resort manager in the first season of “The White Lotus,” is here in a very different role, whose particulars I will not disclose.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
But they have so far been unable to confirm his identity and, until they do, have declined to disclose the name.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
