disclose
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
to make (information) known
-
to allow to be seen; lay bare
Synonym Usage
See reveal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disclosesimple
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disclosessimple
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have disclosedperfect
-
has disclosedperfect
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am disclosingprogressive
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are disclosingprogressive
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is disclosingprogressive
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have been disclosingperfect progressive
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has been disclosingperfect progressive
Past
-
disclosedsimple
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had disclosedperfect
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was disclosingprogressive
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were disclosingprogressive
-
had been disclosingperfect progressive
Future
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 trust did not disclose its ownership to Denton County officials.
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026
He declined to disclose the company’s net income but said the business was profitable.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026
Federal employees who disclose such moves beyond that time frame and any extensions granted to them are subject to a $200 fine per late report.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
The AI could unintentionally disclose that information to other users or be accessed in response to a specifically crafted prompt, Shmatikov warned.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026
It needed to be able to insure $100 billion in subprime mortgage loans, for instance, without having to disclose to anyone what it had done.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
