disclose

1 of 2

verb

dis·​close dis-ˈklōz How to pronounce disclose (audio)
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 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
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
The Free Press is not disclosing details of the videotape captured by the patient until the doctor and his attorney have had a chance to view it and respond. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024 The entertainment conglomerate disclosed latest pay details for its top executives in a regulatory filing. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024 Under the policy, the league cannot disclose confidential information but can publicly respond to the release of such information. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024 Judge won't order prosecutors to disclose 1st witness Judge Juan Merchan declined to order prosecutors to disclose their first witness after defense attorneys remade a request from yesterday. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024 Heap did disclose one campaign contribution from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club for $2,500. Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024 In addition, Meta disclosed that previous versions of Llama were used to train Llama 3. Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024 In January, tech companies disclosed their decisions to slash 3,248 Bay Area jobs. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024 Chan did not disclose what role required him to turn his hair grey. Zack Sharf, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disclose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of disclose was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near disclose

Cite this Entry

“Disclose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disclose. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

disclose

verb
dis·​close
dis-ˈklōz
: to make known
disclose secrets
discloser noun

Legal Definition

disclose

transitive verb
dis·​close dis-ˈklōz How to pronounce disclose (audio)
: to make known or reveal to another or to the public

More from Merriam-Webster on disclose

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