disclose
gb/dɪsklˈoʊz/ us/dɪsklˈoʊz/
B2
English
~ 9500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
to reveal information
To tell or show information that was secret or private before.
Usage pattern:
to disclose [information] (to [someone])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "disclose" for everyday, casual telling (e.g., "He disclosed a joke"), but "disclose" is usually for serious, private, or official information. In casual situations, "tell" or "say" is more natural.
Synonyms
reveal (Very close in meaning; slightly more common in everyday speech and can sound less formal than "disclose".)
|
divulge (Suggests giving away secret or sensitive information, often that you perhaps should not share.)
|
share (More casual and friendly; often used for personal information or feelings rather than secrets in a formal sense.)
|
expose (Often used when the information shows something bad or wrong, such as a lie or a crime.)
Antonyms
conceal (Means to keep information hidden or secret instead of making it known.)
|
withhold (Focuses on purposely not giving information that others might expect or ask for.)
Collocations
disclose information
|disclose details
|disclose the truth
|refuse to disclose
|fully disclose
|publicly disclose
Themes
communication
|privacy
|relationships
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company refused to disclose any details about the accident.
- Patients must disclose all medications they are taking to their doctor.
- He chose not to disclose his salary to his coworkers.
- The witness agreed to testify but asked not to have his identity disclosed.
- She disclosed parts of her childhood that she had never talked about before.
Learner examples
- You do not have to disclose your age on this form.
- He disclosed his health problems to his new boss.
- The teacher asked the student to disclose what happened after class.
- She disclosed her home address to the delivery company.
- They disclosed their travel plans to their parents.
Verb
formal
C1
action
2
to provide information officially
To give information in an official way because a rule, law, or contract says you must.
Usage pattern:
to disclose [information] to [an authority]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes do not notice that this sense is more formal and legal. In everyday talk, it is usually better to say "tell" or "report" instead of "disclose" unless you are talking about rules, laws, or contracts.
Synonyms
report (Common in legal and official contexts; focuses on giving information to an authority.)
|
declare (Often used for official or legal statements, especially about money, property, or goods.)
|
notify (Emphasizes informing someone officially, especially about a decision, event, or problem.)
Antonyms
withhold (In legal and business contexts, means deliberately not giving information that should be reported.)
Collocations
disclose assets
|disclose risks
|disclose earnings
|disclose a conflict of interest
|disclose data
|disclose a breach
Themes
law
|business
|finance
Examples
- Publicly traded companies must disclose their financial results every quarter.
- Applicants are required to disclose any criminal convictions on the form.
- The firm failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest to its clients.
- Under the new law, landlords must disclose known safety issues in the building.
- Hospitals are legally obliged to disclose data breaches to affected patients.
Learner examples
- You must disclose all of your income on the tax form.
- The company did not disclose the problem to the government.
- Doctors have to disclose some test results to health authorities.
- He disclosed his past legal problems on the job application.
- Banks must disclose all fees to their customers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
disclose
IPA
GB/dɪsklˈoʊz/
US/dɪsklˈoʊz/
Syllables & stress
dis - close (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (close)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: disclose
- 3rd Person Singular: discloses
- Present Participle: disclosing
- Past: disclosed
Word family
Forms
discloses
verb
disclosing
verb
disclosed
verb
Core family
disclosure
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
undisclosed
adjective
nondisclosure
noun
Expressions
failure to disclose
1/fˈeɪljɚ tə dɪsklˈoʊz/
fixed phrase
formal
not giving required information
Not giving important information when you should, especially when a rule or law says you must give it.
Examples
- The company was fined for failure to disclose a serious safety problem.
- Failure to disclose previous accidents may result in your insurance being cancelled.
- The contract states that failure to disclose relevant information can lead to termination.
non-disclosure agreement
1/nˈɑn dɪsklˈoʊʒɚ əɡɹˈimənt/
fixed phrase
technical
legal contract to keep information secret
A legal document that says a person or company cannot tell other people certain secret information.
Examples
- All employees must sign a non-disclosure agreement before starting work on the project.
- Because of a non-disclosure agreement, she could not talk about the details of the settlement.
- Startups often use non-disclosure agreements when sharing ideas with investors.
full disclosure
1/fˈʊl dɪsklˈoʊʒɚ/
fixed phrase
giving all relevant information
Saying or showing all important information about something, especially your own connection to it, so that nothing important is hidden.
Examples
- Full disclosure: I used to work for this company.
- Full disclosure, I used to work for that company.
- Before we start, full disclosure — I'm related to the author.
- The journalist promised full disclosure of all her sources and methods.
- In the interest of full disclosure, the review notes that the author received a free sample.