Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense divulges, present participle divulging, past tense, past participle divulged
verb
If you divulge a piece of secret or private information, you tell it to someone.
[formal]
Officials refuse to divulge details of the negotiations. [VERB noun]
He was charged with divulging state secrets. [VERB noun]
I do not want to divulge where the village is. [VERB wh]
Synonyms: make known, tell, reveal, publish More Synonyms of divulge
divulge in British English
(daɪˈvʌldʒ)
verb
(tr; may take a clause as object)
to make known (something private or secret); disclose
Derived forms
divulgence (diˈvulgence) or divulgement (diˈvulgement)
noun
divulger (diˈvulger)
noun
Word origin
C15: from Latin dīvulgāre, from di-2 + vulgāre to spread among the people, from vulgus the common people
divulge in American English
(dəˈvʌldʒ)
verb transitiveWord forms: diˈvulged or diˈvulging
to make known; disclose; reveal
SIMILAR WORDS: reˈveal
Word origin
ME divulgen < L divulgare < di- (< dis-), apart + vulgare, to make public < vulgus, the common people: see vulgar
Examples of 'divulge' in a sentence
divulge
A police spokesman said:'At this stage we cannot divulge any details.
The Sun (2016)
But she refuses to divulge any secrets.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Mortgage applicants will have to divulge personal details about their spending habits and lifestyle.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It allows the police to divulge that information.
The Sun (2013)
He refused to divulge any information.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We divulge details to build trust, to be heard and know we are accepted.
Christianity Today (2000)
He declined to divulge other financial details, but said the business was profitable.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Perhaps their employers think it's too much information to divulge.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It's forbidden to divulge information from within the camp that might affect betting practices.
The Sun (2010)
If they did not divulge enough factual information, the audience began to exchange shrugs.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Can Barclaycard reconcile this with the advice not to divulge information to unknown callers?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Paramount won't divulge any more just yet.
The Sun (2012)
Bosses need them to divulge their secrets and some of them didn't feel supported enough last time.
The Sun (2013)
I found it easy to approach people and get them to divulge secrets.
The Sun (2013)
He won't divulge the recipe.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
I won't divulge who he said.
The Sun (2012)
Up North you can't walk into one without being forced to divulge deep family secrets.
The Sun (2008)
The administrators refused to divulge details of why the charity collapsed so suddenly, but sources spoke of poor financial management and a lack of strong leadership.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He was also prepared to divulge details of an operation by the nuclear submarine HMS Trafalgar.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The union should not hold its breath; the FSA is not going to divulge sensitive information about any bank.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
divulge
British English: divulge VERB
If you divulge a piece of secret or private information, you tell it to someone.
Officials refuse to divulge details of the negotiations.
American English: divulge
Brazilian Portuguese: divulgar
Chinese: 泄露
European Spanish: divulgar
French: divulguer
German: preisgeben
Italian: divulgare
Japanese: 暴露する
Korean: 누설하다
European Portuguese: divulgar
Latin American Spanish: divulgar
(verb)
Definition
to make known
He was charged with divulging state secrets.
Synonyms
make known
tell
I called her to tell her how spectacular it looked.
reveal
She has refused to reveal her daughter's whereabouts.
publish
The paper did not publish his name for legal reasons.
declare
Anyone carrying money into or out of the country must declare it.
expose
After the scandal was exposed, he moved abroad.
leak
He revealed who had leaked a confidential police report.
confess
He has confessed to seventeen murders.
She confesses that she only wrote those books for the money.
exhibit
communicate
The result will be communicated to parents.
spill (informal)
disclose
Neither side would disclose details of the transaction.
proclaim
He continues to proclaim his innocence.
betray
She studied his face, but it betrayed nothing.
uncover
Auditors said they had uncovered evidence of fraud.
impart
the ability to impart knowledge and command respect
promulgate
Such behaviour promulgates a negative image of the British.
let slip
blow wide open (slang)
get off your chest (informal)
cough (slang)
out (informal)
spill your guts about (slang)
Opposites
hide
,
conceal
,
keep secret
Additional synonyms
in the sense of betray
Definition
to disclose (a secret or confidence) treacherously
She studied his face, but it betrayed nothing.
Synonyms
give away,
tell,
show,
reveal,
expose,
disclose,
uncover,
manifest,
divulge,
blurt out,
unmask,
lay bare,
tell on,
let slip,
evince (formal)
in the sense of communicate
Definition
to exchange (thoughts) or make known (information or feelings) by speech, writing, or other means
The result will be communicated to parents.
Synonyms
make known,
report,
announce,
reveal,
publish,
declare,
spread,
disclose,
pass on,
proclaim,
transmit,
convey,
impart,
divulge,
disseminate
in the sense of confess
Definition
to admit (a fault or crime)
He has confessed to seventeen murders.She confesses that she only wrote those books for the money.