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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Christmas Carol
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Launch of Sputnik 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Zilis said the confidentiality agreement with Musk is why she did not disclose to OpenAI's chief executive Sam Altman that twins she gave birth to in 2021 were fathered by Musk.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
The case had alleged that Musk failed to timely disclose his buildup of ownership in the social-media platform he later renamed X.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
The president did not disclose how many faculty or researchers could be hired but said the areas would include arts, social sciences, engineering, computing and health.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
In the wake of the indictment, Super Micro is also facing a class-action lawsuit claiming that the company failed to disclose that it was illegally selling servers to Chinese companies.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
Then I do something really bad, and I’m just going to fully disclose it here because I can edit it out later.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
![]()
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.