declassify
gb/dɪklˈæsəfˌaɪ/ us/dɪklˈæsəfˌaɪ/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
formal
C1
action
1
make secret information public
to officially decide that secret government or military information is no longer secret
Usage pattern:
declassify [documents/information/records/files]
Common mistake:
Do not use declassify simply to mean “organize into categories.” It means remove a secret or restricted status.
Synonyms
release (broader; can mean make available without specifically removing a security classification)
|
make public (less formal and broader; focuses on public access rather than official status)
|
disclose (means reveal information, often without implying an official change in classification)
|
unseal (used especially for legal records that were closed or sealed)
Antonyms
classify (to give information an official secret or restricted status)
|
withhold (to keep information from being released)
|
suppress (to deliberately prevent information from becoming known)
Collocations
declassify documents
|declassify files
|declassify records
|declassify information
|declassify intelligence
|declassify a report
|newly declassified
|recently declassified
|partially declassify
|fully declassify
Themes
government
|security
|law
|military
|information
Examples
- The government agreed to declassify thousands of documents from the Cold War era.
- Some parts of the report were declassified, but the names of intelligence sources remained secret.
- The agency may declassify the files after a standard review process.
Learner examples
- The army declassified the old report.
- The public can read the documents after they are declassified.
Grammar
Dictionary form
declassify
IPA
GB/dɪklˈæsəfˌaɪ/
US/dɪklˈæsəfˌaɪ/
Syllables & stress
de - clas - si - fy (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (clas)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: declassify
- 3rd Person Singular: declassifies
- Present Participle: declassifying
- Past: declassified
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.