declassify

American

[dee-klas-uh-fahy] / diˈklæs əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

declassified, declassifying

to remove the classification from (information, a document, etc.) that restricts access in terms of secrecy, confidentiality, etc.

declassify British

/ diːˈklæsɪˌfaɪ /

verb

(tr) to release (a document or information) from the security list

"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

Other Word Forms

declassifiable adjective
declassification noun

Etymology

Origin of declassify

First recorded in 1860–65; de- + classify

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.

Wilson wants the board to declassify immediately so all directors are elected annually.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Wilson has also submitted a proposal that calls for the board to immediately declassify, so that all directors are elected annually by shareholders.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 29, 2025

Donald Trump said he would order his administration to declassify secret government records related to the 1937 disappearance of the US aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday which he says would declassify federal records surrounding the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2025

Look, you know how long it takes to declassify stuff.

From The Flying Saucers are Real by Keyhoe, Donald E. (Donald Edward)

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