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

Early on, pressure for more frequent disclosure came not from government regulators, who barely existed before 1934, but from investors.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

Bitcoin edged up 0.4% in recent afternoon trading Monday, but had been down as much as 3.6% after the disclosure of the sale was made, according to FactSet data.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026

Fink sent letters to CEOs calling climate change “a defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects” and pressed for disclosure of their carbon transition plans, among other things.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

Imperial courts hold themselves to no rules, no ethical requirements, and no disclosure obligations.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026

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

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

Related Words

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