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

Tesla shares may also be benefitting from the company’s recent disclosure that it would provide details next month about the European launch of its electric Semi truck.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

The agency says it lacks authority to prohibit the practice, but will “deploy enforcement resources” when it spots companies that don’t follow its disclosure standards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Affiliated or related-party assets, while legal, are between businesses that have ties and pose potential conflicts of interest; they require disclosure and typically extra regulatory scrutiny.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

The latest disclosure is likely to raise fresh questions about the Metropolitan Police's handling of sensitive survivor information.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Yet even if Elizebeth shied away from disclosure, she refused to become isolated.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Since the disclosures, rating agencies Fitch, AM Best and S&P Global have downgraded the companies’ outlook to negative, but they also have said the insurers maintain a high level of financial strength.

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

Before the recent disclosures by his insurance companies, Walter had been seen as among the most successful financiers of his era.

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

The penalties for violating security regulations covering information judged to be sensitive had a distinctly militaristic cast, with fines of up to $300,000 and jail terms as long as thirty years for “willful” disclosures.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

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