divulge
Americanverb (used with object)
-
divulges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
divulged,
past participle, past
-
divulging
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
See reveal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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divulgementnoun
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divulgencenoun
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divulgernoun
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nondivulgingadjective
-
undivulgedadjective
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undivulgingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
divulgesimple
-
divulgessimple
-
have divulgedperfect
-
has divulgedperfect
-
am divulgingprogressive
-
are divulgingprogressive
-
is divulgingprogressive
-
have been divulgingperfect progressive
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has been divulgingperfect progressive
Past
-
divulgedsimple
-
had divulgedperfect
-
was divulgingprogressive
-
were divulgingprogressive
-
had been divulgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of divulge
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Latin dīvulgāre, equivalent to dī- di- 2 + vulgāre “to make general or common, to spread” ( vulg(us) “the masses” + -āre infinitive suffix)
Explanation
If you've been sneaking around with your best friend's boyfriend, that's probably one secret you don't want to divulge, because revealing that tidbit of information will probably cut your friendship short. Divulge often precedes the word secret, because it means to reveal something, and that something is often of a personal or private nature. A gossip columnist's job is to divulge which celebrities are secretly dating and which ones have been caught in embarrassing situations. Although the word comes from the Latin word for making something public to the masses, it can also be used to describe information passed from one person to another. For example, a mother could divulge to her daughter that she was adopted.
Vocabulary lists containing divulge
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Locke is reluctant to divulge his own interpretation of the characters’ future, preferring instead to let viewers make sense of the hopeful ending.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
They entered a legally binding agreement which the BBC will not divulge the details of.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Bolter declined to divulge more about his conversation with the FBI, which has not been previously reported, but allegations from Bolter’s 2020 affidavit were central to some conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
“We are not going to divulge law enforcement-sensitive methods,” DHS said, but the department employs various forms of technology, while “respecting civil liberties and privacy interests.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
“Our car broke down,” I said, being careful not to divulge too much information.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
He claims to have secured decisive concessions that he rarely divulges and promises a resolution to the crisis, causing markets to swing dramatically.
From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026
“Wicked” divulges that the Wizard commissioned the vehicle to fool Ozians that, like Elphaba, Glinda is airborne, despite her magical deficiencies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
For their part, Buscemi and Thompson utilize the complementary power of stillness and the close-up to create a portrait of a woman who hears so much and divulges so little.
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2024
This leaves national security interests at risk from a new class of insider threats: the unwitting leaker who uses chatbots to find much-needed connections and unintentionally divulges sensitive information along the way.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 17, 2023
"Don't let us despair," said Jules; "let us make an exception in favour of ... especially when he divulges his political intrigues."
From Abb? Aubain and Mosaics by Prosper M?rim?e
The 65-year-old comedian divulged his 25 favourite moments as incompetent office manager Brent and delved into the inspiration behind some of his most memorable lines.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Arm Holdings just divulged a new figure related to its plans to start making central processing units.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
Last year his family divulged that Mueller had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
He has not divulged the reasons behind the change in any depth, but took satisfaction from triumphing in Melbourne given all the speculation beforehand.
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
Agent Burger told headquarters, “This arrangement is strictly confidential and not to be divulged outside of this Bureau to anyone, under any circumstances.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Tax preparers recognize that divulging personal finances can prove uncomfortable for clients.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026
California State University has settled a lawsuit with its faculty union that restricts the university from divulging personal information to federal agencies investigating antisemitism on campus without the employee’s knowledge, union leaders said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
There's a sense of unease bubbling under this gentle indie rock song, as though singer Karly Hartzman is perpetually on the brink of divulging an uncomfortable truth.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
The arrests of Billups and Rozier put to bed another notion pushed by proponents: that the athletes to watch are the low-paid ones living on the fringes, who might be seduced into divulging inside info.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
“This literally just came in,” the salesperson said of a sparkly dress, as though divulging a big secret, and Ginika said, “Oh my God, really?” with a great excitement.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
