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.
Analyst Chris Savage reckons the Australian company will probably disclose the financial hit some time around its annual result announcement.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
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
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
The statement did not disclose the terms of the agreement, and it was not immediately clear whether any financial component was part of the resolution or how the parties addressed legal fees.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
They plodded on, reluctant to disclose their thoughts.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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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.