divulge

American

[dih-vuhlj, dahy-] / dɪˈvʌldʒ, daɪ- /

verb (used with object)

divulged, divulging

to disclose or reveal (something private, secret, or previously unknown).

divulge British

/ daɪˈvʌldʒ /

verb

(tr; may take a clause as object) to make known (something private or secret); disclose

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See reveal.

Other Word Forms

divulgement noun
divulgence noun
divulger noun
nondivulging adjective
undivulged adjective
undivulging adjective

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)

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.

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

Last year his family divulged that Mueller had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several years.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

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

Tax preparers recognize that divulging personal finances can prove uncomfortable for clients.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023