Disclosure is the act or process of revealing, exposing, or making known information that was previously secret, private, or unknown. It is commonly used in legal, financial, and interpersonal contexts to describe the formal or informal act of sharing facts, especially those relevant to a decision, transaction, or relationship.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English / Old French
- dis- — reversal or undoing of an action (Latin)
- clausus — shut, closed (past participle of claudere, 'to close') (Latin)
Entered English in the late 14th century from the Old French 'disclos', itself derived from Latin 'disclaudere' ('to open, unclose'), a combination of the prefix 'dis-' (reversal) and 'claudere' (to shut or close).
Example
- Full disclosure of the company's financial risks was required before the merger could proceed.
Related Forms
| disclosurenoun | the act of revealing information that was previously secret or unknowne.g. The whistleblower's disclosure exposed years of financial misconduct. |
| discloseverb | to make known or reveal informatione.g. She was reluctant to disclose the details of the negotiation. |
| disclosedadjective | having been made known or revealede.g. The disclosed documents raised new questions about the deal. |