divulge
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Synonym Usage
See reveal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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divulgementnoun
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divulgencenoun
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divulgernoun
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nondivulgingadjective
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undivulgedadjective
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undivulgingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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divulgesimple
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divulgessimple
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have divulgedperfect
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has divulgedperfect
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am divulgingprogressive
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are divulgingprogressive
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is divulgingprogressive
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have been divulgingperfect progressive
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has been divulgingperfect progressive
Past
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divulgedsimple
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had divulgedperfect
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was divulgingprogressive
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were divulgingprogressive
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had been divulgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of divulge
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Latin dīvulgāre, equivalent to dī- di- 2 + vulgāre “to make general or common, to spread” ( vulg(us) “the masses” + -āre infinitive suffix)
Explanation
If you've been sneaking around with your best friend's boyfriend, that's probably one secret you don't want to divulge, because revealing that tidbit of information will probably cut your friendship short. Divulge often precedes the word secret, because it means to reveal something, and that something is often of a personal or private nature. A gossip columnist's job is to divulge which celebrities are secretly dating and which ones have been caught in embarrassing situations. Although the word comes from the Latin word for making something public to the masses, it can also be used to describe information passed from one person to another. For example, a mother could divulge to her daughter that she was adopted.
Vocabulary lists containing divulge
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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.
See Examples For:
Bolter declined to divulge more about his conversation with the FBI, which has not been previously reported, but allegations from Bolter’s 2020 affidavit were central to some conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
The repeated failure to divulge the result of Lord Mandelson's vetting process was "incredible", "staggering" and "astonishing", the prime minister said.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
I give her every opportunity, but Ms. Stefanik declines to divulge her calculation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
The bot’s final product is exactly that: an essay that pretends to divulge, to confess, to promise, and to portray.
From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026
Well, Your Honor, I shall disappoint him, for I shall divulge the motive.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
He claims to have secured decisive concessions that he rarely divulges and promises a resolution to the crisis, causing markets to swing dramatically.
From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026
“Wicked” divulges that the Wizard commissioned the vehicle to fool Ozians that, like Elphaba, Glinda is airborne, despite her magical deficiencies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
For their part, Buscemi and Thompson utilize the complementary power of stillness and the close-up to create a portrait of a woman who hears so much and divulges so little.
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2024
This leaves national security interests at risk from a new class of insider threats: the unwitting leaker who uses chatbots to find much-needed connections and unintentionally divulges sensitive information along the way.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 17, 2023
It is true that it will be a difficult task to collect such proofs; but it is not impossible, with the aid of time, which divulges so many crimes.
From The Count's Millions by Gaboriau, Émile
Their fairy tale marriage shattered in 2015, when Chey divulged in a three-page letter published by a South Korean newspaper that he wanted to divorce Roh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Text messages divulged during the trial also put power struggles behind closed doors on full display.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Arm Holdings just divulged a new figure related to its plans to start making central processing units.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
He has not divulged the reasons behind the change in any depth, but took satisfaction from triumphing in Melbourne given all the speculation beforehand.
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
“A religion different from the religion of the Lunas,” I was again talking to myself, intrigued by the easy flow of thoughts and the openness with which I divulged them to my father.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
The Salvadoran breakfast blended the two, a stage outside the U.S. spotlight, with Suozzi navigating the overlap awkwardly as he and his fellows sang The Fellowship’s praises, without naming it or divulging many details.
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
Tax preparers recognize that divulging personal finances can prove uncomfortable for clients.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026
Sophie had not told her parents or her real counsellor the true extent of her mental health struggle but was divulging far more to her chatbot called 'Harry' that told her she was brave.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
County Medical Examiner from divulging autopsy results and other details related to the girl’s death that would otherwise be public.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025
My family might worry about my divulging something so personal.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
