disclose

1 of 2

verb

dis·​close dis-ˈklōz How to pronounce disclose (audio)
disclosed; disclosing; discloses
Synonyms of disclosenext

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 How to pronounce disclose (audio)
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

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Captain Dalia Simons did not disclose how Ryan had entered the lake but said there is no sign of foul play. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 Details on the forthcoming tour have yet to be disclosed. —Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 21 Nov. 2024 WisDOT in 2023 disclosed seven conceptual plans to repair I-794 and two plans to remove it. —Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024 Netflix also doesn’t disclose exactly how much actors earn for their movies, but it’s reported to be at least 80,000.00. —Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for disclose 

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

discloak

disclose

disclosing

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Disclose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disclose. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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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

Nglish: Translation of disclose for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of disclose for Arabic Speakers

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