divulge
Americanverb (used with object)
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
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undivulgedadjective
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undivulgingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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divulgesimple
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divulgessimple
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have divulgedperfect
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has divulgedperfect
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am divulgingprogressive
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are divulgingprogressive
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is divulgingprogressive
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have been divulgingperfect progressive
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has been divulgingperfect progressive
Past
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divulgedsimple
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had divulgedperfect
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was divulgingprogressive
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were divulgingprogressive
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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.
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
He promised to "never divulge anything" marked as "sensitive" information or even that he knew such information.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
The bot’s final product is exactly that: an essay that pretends to divulge, to confess, to promise, and to portray.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
Hale seemed to be trying to ascertain whether she knew anything and, perhaps, to be warning her not to divulge a word if she did.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
