disclose

1 of 2

verb

dis·​close dis-ˈklōz 

disclosed; disclosing; discloses

transitive verb

1

a

: to make known or public

would not disclose his salary

b

: to expose to view

c

archaic : hatch

2

obsolete : to open up

discloser noun

plural disclosers

disclosable

dis-ˈklō-zə-bəl 

adjective

… I shall go into Mexico with a pretty definite purpose, which, however, is not at present disclosable.

—Ambrose Bierce

… he and most of the other area lawmakers contacted said any eventual solution should not result in every document they generate or receive becoming a disclosable record.

—The Daily Herald (Everett, Washington)

disclose

2 of 2

noun

obsolete

: disclosure

Synonyms

Verb

• bare
• discover
• divulge
• expose
• let on (about)
• reveal
• spill
• tell
• unbosom
• uncloak
• uncover
• unmask
• unveil

Choose the Right Synonym for disclose

reveal, disclose, divulge, tell, betray mean to make known what has been or should be concealed.

reveal may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason.

divine will as revealed in sacred writings

disclose may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret.

candidates must disclose their financial assets

divulge implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence.

refused to divulge an anonymous source

tell implies an imparting of necessary or useful information.

told them what he had overheard

betray implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntary or unconscious disclosure.

a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

Examples of disclose in a Sentence

Verb

He refused to disclose the source of his information.

The company has disclosed that it will be laying off thousands of workers later this year.

The identity of the victim has not yet been disclosed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

And markets may ding companies that lag significantly behind their competitors, a dynamic that will be revealed when public companies around the globe disclose their climate information. —Justin Worland, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024

Financial details of the settlement weren’t disclosed in the court documents. —Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2024

Administrative and mortality-and-expense risk fees were not disclosed. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024

In some instances, vulnerabilities have been exploited by hackers minutes after they were disclosed. —Austin Gadient, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French desclos-, stem of desclore to open, unlock, reveal, from Medieval Latin disclaudere, from Latin dis- + claudere to close — more at close entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

disclose

verb

dis·​close

dis-ˈklōz

: to make known

disclose secrets

discloser noun

Legal Definition

disclose

transitive verb

dis·​close dis-ˈklōz 

: to make known or reveal to another or to the public