divulge
Americanverb (used with object)
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divulges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
divulged,
past participle, past
-
divulging
present participle
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
-
divulgesimple
-
divulgessimple
-
have divulgedperfect
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has divulgedperfect
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am divulgingprogressive
-
are divulgingprogressive
-
is divulgingprogressive
-
have been divulgingperfect progressive
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has been divulgingperfect progressive
Past
-
divulgedsimple
-
had divulgedperfect
-
was divulgingprogressive
-
were divulgingprogressive
-
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:
Moderna and Merck will divulge the details on exactly how well the vaccine worked at a medical conference later this year, and the companies are hoping for U.S. approval next year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The agency "does not divulge protected, sensitive, or classified information pertaining to the termination of legal status of foreign nationals", state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
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
“We are not going to divulge law enforcement-sensitive methods,” DHS said, but the department employs various forms of technology, while “respecting civil liberties and privacy interests.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
After having sent him embarrassing fan mail when he was eleven—not that he was about to divulge that piece of information to Dimple.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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
Dorn is a prolific author of three novels and a memoir, “Bad Lawyer,” where she divulges secrets from her past life as a reluctant lawyer trying to meet her family’s expectations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 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
These he may utter by rote, but his 'voice is the man for a' that,' and betrays or divulges his peculiar nature.
From The American Union Speaker by John D. (John Dudley) Philbrick
A few stopped to chat, but appeared careful about what they divulged.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Arm Holdings just divulged a new figure related to its plans to start making central processing units.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
Ankara in 2012 reportedly divulged to Iran the identities of up to 10 Iranian citizens who were spying for Israel and gathering information on Iran’s nuclear-weapons program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 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 Story of Love, Hatred and Man’s Greed for Gold. Based on the real facts as divulged by the startling confession of Burkhart.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
After unwisely divulging the unseemly conversation to Ruth, Leigh moves to defense: “He’s not an adult. He’s an actor.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Civil contempt sentences are usually indefinite, until the person complies with the court order, which in this case, would be divulging the location of the missing coins.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026
Tax preparers recognize that divulging personal finances can prove uncomfortable for clients.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026
County medical examiner from divulging autopsy results and other details related to the girl’s death that would otherwise be made public.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2026
“Jemma Tuthill’s her name,” I said, kicking myself for divulging that bit of information.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
