Dictionary.com
definitions

reveal

[ri-veel]
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reveal ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to make known; disclose; divulge: to reveal a secret.
to lay open to view; display; exhibit.

noun

an act or instance of revealing; revelation; disclosure.
Architecture.
  1. the part of the jamb of a window or door opening between the outer wall surface and the window or door frame.
  2. the whole jamb of an opening between the outer and inner surfaces of a wall.
the framework or edge of an automobile window.

RELATED CONTENT

Flotsam, jetsam, and sandbar pianos: Three mysteries revealed
A mystery has gripped Biscayne Bay since New Years, when a 650-pound baby grand piano appeared on a sandbar above the waves. Was this out-of-place instrument flotsam, the work of pirates? Was this lagan from bumbling musical smugglers? Full disclosure: This riddle has in fact been solved, and we’ll reveal the enigmatic source in a minute. There is a greater puzzle here that will last longer than this …
READ MORE
default dance
Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

confess, acknowledge, explain, affirm, divulge, publish, tell, inform, admit, declare, concede, report, announce, expose, disclose, display, unveil, avow, leak, communicate

Origin of reveal

1325–75; (v.) Middle English revelen < Middle French reveler < Latin revēlāre to unveil (see re-, veil); (in defs 4, 5) derivative of obsolete revale to lower < Old French revaler (re- re- + (a)valer to lower, verbal derivative of the phrase à val down; see vale)
Related formsre·veal·a·ble, adjectivere·veal·a·bil·i·ty, re·veal·a·ble·ness, nounre·veal·ed·ly [ri-vee-lid-lee, -veeld-] /rɪˈvi lɪd li, -ˈvild-/, adverbre·veal·er, nounre·veal·ing·ly, adverbre·veal·ing·ness, nounre·vel·a·tive [ri-vel-uh-tiv, rev-uh-ley-] /rɪˈvɛl ə tɪv, ˈrɛv əˌleɪ-/, adjectivehalf-re·vealed, adjectivenon·re·veal·ing, adjectivepre·re·veal, verb (used with object)self-re·vealed, adjectiveun·re·veal·a·ble, adjectiveun·re·vealed, adjectiveun·re·veal·ing, adjectiveun·re·veal·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms for reveal

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reveal ON THESAURUS.COM
1, 2. unveil, publish, impart, tell, announce, proclaim. Reveal, disclose, divulge share the meaning of making known something previously concealed or secret. To reveal is to uncover as if by drawing away a veil: The fog lifted and revealed the harbor. To disclose is to lay open and thereby invite inspection: to disclose the plans of an organization. To divulge is to communicate, sometimes to a large number of people, what was at first intended to be private, confidential, or secret: to divulge the terms of a contract.

Antonyms for reveal

1, 2. conceal, hide.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for reveal

Contemporary Examples of reveal

Historical Examples of reveal

  • There, I thought I'd reveal the distressing truth about myself while I had you at my mercy.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • If it reveal nothing to be done, there is nothing there for us.

    Weighed and Wanting

    George MacDonald

  • The way seemed to reveal itself to her as they went, and they were soon at home.

    Weighed and Wanting

    George MacDonald

  • If I be so, I am a traitor to the king should I reveal his secret.

    Leila, Complete

    Edward Bulwer-Lytton

  • Now, Your Majesty, let me reveal to you the meaning of this mystery.

    Welsh Fairy Tales

    William Elliott Griffis

British Dictionary definitions for reveal

reveal

verb (tr)

(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to disclose (a secret); divulge
to expose to view or show (something concealed)
(of God) to disclose (divine truths) either directly or through the medium of prophets, etc

noun

architect the vertical side of an opening in a wall, esp the side of a window or door between the frame and the front of the wall
Derived Formsrevealable, adjectiverevealability, nounrevealer, nounrevealment, noun

Word Origin for reveal

C14: from Old French reveler, from Latin revēlāre to unveil, from re- + vēlum a veil
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
Word Origin and History for reveal
v.

late 14c., from Old French reveler "reveal" (14c.), from Latin revelare "reveal, uncover, disclose," literally "unveil," from re- "opposite of" (see re-) + velare "to cover, veil," from velum "a veil" (see veil (n.)). Related: Revealed; revealing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper