disclose

D2I1S1C3L1O1S1E1
/dɪsˈkləʊz/

verb

To open up; unfasten.

CommonScrabble 11

Meanings

verbdisclose (third-person singular simple present discloses, present participle disclosing, simple past and past participle disclosed)

present singular third person discloses · participle present disclosing · participle past disclosed · past disclosed

  1. obsoletetransitiveTo open up; unfasten.

    The estrich layeth her eggs under sand, where the heat of the discloseth them.

    1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC
  2. transitiveTo uncover; physically expose to view.

    The shells being broken, […] the stone included in them is thereby disclosed and set at liberty.

    1695, John Woodward, “(please specify the page)”, in An Essay toward a Natural History of the Earth: And Terrestrial Bodies, Especially Minerals: […], London: […] Ric[hard] Wilkin […], →OCLC
    3 more examples

    And it seemed to me that the dream smote the roof above my bed, and the roof opened and disclosed the outer dark, and in the dark travelled a bearded star, and the night was quick with fiery signs.

    1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 18

    Some [nest toys] open to disclose a set of babies, tumbling dolls with weights, or old men might open so that they could be used as money-boxes.

    1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 166

    Its brown curtain was only half drawn, disclosing the elegant legs, clad in transparent black, of a female seated inside.

    1972, Vladimir Nabokov, Transparent Things, McGraw-Hill, published 1972, page 13

    Synonyms: reveal, unveil, expose

  3. transitiveoccasionally intransitiveTo expose to the knowledge of others; to make known; state openly; reveal (something).

    Her lively looks a sprightly mind disclose.

    1712 May, [Alexander Pope], “The Rape of the Locke. An Heroi-comical Poem.”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, canto II
    4 more examples

    If I disclose my passion, / Our friendship's at an end.

    1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act III, scene i, page 34

    Skogan's study is based on weak data. Worse yet, he fails to disclose […] that his data reveal no statistically significant relationship between disorder and crime with regard to four out of five crime variables. Skogan only […] discusses the results of the one test that supports the […] theory

    2001, Bernard E. Harcourt, Illusion of Order

    I feel duty bound to disclose I'm trans. I have a certain emotional investment in the relationship, [so] I've decided I have to disclose, and it scares me.

    2013, Anne Cognito, Sunlight in the Darkness : My life as a trans woman, page 100

    Disclosing to a child his or her own HIV-positive status is yet another complicated process. Who should disclose and when and how that person should do it are prominent questions […]

    2013, Pranee Liamputtong, Stigma, Discrimination and Living with HIV/AIDS, page 83

    Synonyms: reveal, unveil, divulge, publish, impart, bring to light, impart

noundisclose (plural discloses)

plural discloses

  1. obsoleteA disclosure.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo uncover; physically expose to view.

verbTo expose to the knowledge of others; to make known; state openly; reveal (something).

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

verbmake known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

Broader

verbreveal to view as by removing a cover

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindis-
  2. Vulgar Latindisclaudere
  3. Old Frenchdesclore
  4. Middle Frenchdesclos
  5. Middle Englishdisclosen
  6. Englishdisclose

From Middle English disclosen, from Middle French desclos, from Old French desclore, itself from Vulgar Latin disclaudere, from Latin dis- + claudere (“to close, shut”) or as a variant of discludo, discludere (cf. disclude). By surface analysis, dis- + close.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian показвам, разкривам
  • показвам (pokazvam)physically expose to view
  • разкривам (razkrivam)physically expose to view
  • откривам (otkrivam)make known
  • издавам (izdavam)make known
Catalan revelar, divulgar
  • revelarphysically expose to view
  • divulgarmake known
Chinese Mandarin 泄露
  • 泄露 (xièlòu, xièlù)make known
Danish bekendtliggøre
  • bekendtliggøremake known
Dutch onthullen, ontsluieren
  • onthullenphysically expose to view
  • ontsluierenphysically expose to view
  • onthullenmake known
  • ontsluierenmake known
  • bekendmakenmake known
  • vrijgevenmake known
Esperanto malkaŝi
  • malkaŝiphysically expose to view
Finnish paljastaa, paljastaa
  • paljastaaphysically expose to view
  • paljastaamake known
French découvrir, laisser voir
  • découvrirphysically expose to view
  • laisser voirphysically expose to view
  • révélermake known
  • divulguermake known
  • dévoilermake known
German enthüllen, veröffentlichen
  • enthüllenphysically expose to view
  • veröffentlichenmake known
  • bekanntgebenmake known
  • bekanntmachenmake known
Hungarian felfed, szem elé tár
  • felfedphysically expose to view
  • szem elé tárphysically expose to view
  • kitakarphysically expose to view
  • feltárphysically expose to view
  • tudtára admake known
  • tudomására hozmake known
  • tudatmake known
  • közölmake known
  • elárulmake known
  • elmondmake known
  • közreadmake known
  • közzéteszmake known
Indonesian membeberkan, menyingkap
  • membeberkanmake known
  • menyingkapmake known
Italian scoprire, divulgare
  • scoprirephysically expose to view
  • divulgaremake known
  • rivelaremake known
Japanese 啓
  • 啓 (kei)make known
Korean 드러내다, 밝히다
  • 드러내다 (deureonaeda)physically expose to view
  • 밝히다 (balkida)make known
  • 폭로하다 (pongnohada)make known
Latin dēclārō, ēnūntiō
  • dēclārōmake known
  • ēnūntiōmake known
Māori tūhura, whakakakau
  • tūhuraphysically expose to view
  • whakakakaumake known
Norwegian bekjentgjøre
  • bekjentgjøremake known
Polish ujawnić
  • ujawnićmake known
Portuguese revelar, expor
  • revelarphysically expose to view
  • exporphysically expose to view
  • revelarmake known
  • divulgarmake known
Romanian dezvălui, expune
  • dezvăluiphysically expose to view
  • expunephysically expose to view
  • revelamake known
  • divulgamake known
Russian раскрыва́ть, раскры́ть
  • раскрыва́ть (raskryvátʹ)physically expose to view
  • раскры́ть (raskrýtʹ)physically expose to view
  • раскрыва́ть (raskryvátʹ)make known
  • раскры́ть (raskrýtʹ)make known
Spanish descerrar, deschavar
  • descerraropen
  • deschavarmake known
Thai เปิดเผย, แพร่งพราย
  • เปิดเผย (bpə̀ət-pə̌əi)make known
  • แพร่งพรายmake known
Welsh datguddio, datguddio
  • datguddiophysically expose to view
  • datguddiomake known

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with disclose

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

disclose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disclose

MLA

“disclose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disclose. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “disclose,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disclose.

Source: disclose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.