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.

• IPA^(key): /dɪsˈkləʊz/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -əʊz

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

1. (transitive, obsolete) To open up; unfasten.
   • 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:

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

2. (transitive) To uncover; physically expose to view.

   Synonyms: reveal, unveil, expose

   • 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:

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

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

     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.

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

     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.

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

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

3. (transitive, occasionally intransitive) To expose to the knowledge of others; to make known; state openly; reveal (something).

   Synonyms: reveal, unveil, divulge, publish, impart

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

     Her lively looks a sprightly mind disclose.

   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iii, page 1:

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

   • 2001, Bernard E. Harcourt, Illusion of Order:

     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

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

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

     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 […]

• (to expose to the knowledge of others): bring to light, expose, reveal; See also Thesaurus:divulge
• (to make known, state openly): impart, make known, publish; See also Thesaurus:announce

• cover up
• withhold

• disclosure

disclose (plural discloses)

1. (obsolete) A disclosure.