disclosure

American  

[dih-skloh-zher] / dɪˈskloʊ ʒər /

noun

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

• nondisclosure
  noun
• predisclosure
  noun
• self-disclosure
  noun

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

Others have questioned how common such under-the-table payments might be, since there are no disclosure requirements for paid content at the federal level and few jurisdictions have any rules mandating it.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

So far NYU Langone Health is the only hospital system to publicly disclose its receipt of the subpoena, done in compliance with New York’s shield law that requires disclosure within 30 days.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

The fund seeks to buy stocks that could benefit from “government disclosure, confirmation, or exploitation of advanced technologies” related to “non-human intelligence.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Citadel CEO Ken Griffin sued the IRS over the unlawful disclosure of his returns.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

He wrote that there needed to be “full disclosure of facts necessary to an informed consent.”

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

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