reveal
Americanverb (used with object)
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reveals,
present (3rd person singular)
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revealed,
past participle, past
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revealing
present participle
noun
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reveals
plural
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an act or instance of revealing; disclosure.
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an act or instance of showing or revealing something surprising for the first time.
Stay tuned for the renovation's big reveal!
The big reveal of the season was that the main character was the murderer.
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Architecture.
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the part of the jamb of a window or door opening between the outer wall surface and the window or door frame.
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the whole jamb of an opening between the outer and inner surfaces of a wall.
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the framework or edge of an automobile window.
verb
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(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to disclose (a secret); divulge
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to expose to view or show (something concealed)
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(of God) to disclose (divine truths) either directly or through the medium of prophets, etc
noun
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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revealabilitynoun
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revealablenessnoun
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revealernoun
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revealingnessnoun
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revealmentnoun
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prerevealverb (used with object)
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half-revealedadjective
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nonrevealingadjective
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revealableadjective
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revelativeadjective
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self-revealedadjective
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unrevealableadjective
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unrevealedadjective
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unrevealingadjective
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revealedlyadverb
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revealinglyadverb
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unrevealinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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revealsimple
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revealssimple
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have revealedperfect
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has revealedperfect
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am revealingprogressive
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are revealingprogressive
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is revealingprogressive
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have been revealingperfect progressive
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has been revealingperfect progressive
Past
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revealedsimple
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had revealedperfect
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was revealingprogressive
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were revealingprogressive
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had been revealingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reveal
First recorded in 1325–75; (verb) Middle English revelen, from Middle French reveler, from Latin revēlāre “to unveil” ( re-, veil ); reveal ( for defs. 4, 5 ) derivative of obsolete revale “to lower,” from Old French revaler ( re- re- + (a)valer “to lower,” verbal derivative of the phrase à val “down”; see vale)
Explanation
When you make something visible or make it public information, you reveal it. For example, if you want to plan a picnic, wait until forecasters reveal the weather that is predicted. The verb reveal comes from the Latin word revelare meaning "unveil," like when you take off your hat to reveal your new haircut, or when you reveal information about your past that will shock or amuse your friends. You might also be familiar with the noun form of reveal, makeover show-speak for the moment viewers see the newly renovated room or someone's dramatic new look, as in saving the reveal for the end of the show so people keep watching.
Vocabulary lists containing reveal
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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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:
I’ll reveal the company and my full thesis, along with five other stocks currently on my buy list, in the next issue of Let’s Analyze on Substack.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
For the judges, hours spent watching contestants cook also reveal something beyond culinary ability.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Especially knowing full well that all that interrogation could ever reveal was a bottomless shame that nobody—and certainly not themselves—could atone for?
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
The results will reveal the common sense of the people, which has been the essence of populism since it was given its name in the 1890s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ella opened her notebook to the spell her mother had taught her over the winter break, one that forced conjure paper to reveal its scribe.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
“We have decades of research. One review, in 2023, reveals that tai chi practitioners have a 24% lower relative risk of falling than older adults who don’t practice,” Swanson says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Cat Razzell - Linda and Razzell's daughter - previously told the BBC her father should not be released until he admits what he did and reveals where her mother's body is.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
MarketWatch Picks: A Wells Fargo VP reveals the biggest retirement mistake investors make today.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
His memoir, “The Deception Game,” reveals these dirty tricks in a rare eyewitness account of how states work to gain what is now called an information advantage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Smiling a polite smile that reveals a rabbity expanse of upper gum, she examines Milton’s complexion, his hair, his shoes.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
The sperm bank revealed to us it had blacklisted Dogus in 2016 over a concern that the clinic had failed to order Cryos sperm for a patient despite saying it would.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The most telling details of the painting are revealed through technical analysis, using a number of scans and a conservator’s favorite tool — the headband magnifiers known as optivisors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The tour comes after a rare period of rest and relaxation for Usher, who recently revealed to Architectural Digest that he had undergone surgery on his knee earlier this year.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
The current probe burst into public view after June filings by Delaware Life and Clear Spring revealed the companies had been subpoenaed by federal authorities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The book had revealed its secrets, after all.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
But the most revealing part of the BBC’s filing isn’t the subpoenas themselves — it’s the account of what happened when the network tried to serve them.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Here, Realtor.com opens up his jaw-dropping manse—while revealing the staggering dwellings he has owned throughout his career.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Through the years, forward guidance has been worse than useless at revealing what the Fed will actually do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Characters deliver jabs at “Jeff Bozos” and the Epstein class while slyly revealing you shouldn’t trust their takes, either.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Perhaps the most revealing of all the artifacts are the remains of so many of those who were aboard the ill-fated ship.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
