To divulge something is to make it known—especially something private, secret, or previously undisclosed. Whether in conversation, media, or suspenseful storytelling, the word often implies a certain weight or consequence behind what’s being revealed.
Definition
Divulge (verb):
- To make known something private, secret, or unknown
“She refused to divulge the contents of the letter.”
Examples in Context
- “The company declined to divulge details of the merger.”
- “He finally divulged the truth about where he had been.”
- “Sources who divulge classified information may face prosecution.”
Origin
From Latin divulgare, meaning “to make common, publish, or spread among the people” (di- meaning “widely” + vulgare, from vulgus, “the common people”).
Synonyms
- Reveal
- Disclose
- Confess
- Uncover
- Leak
Antonyms
- Conceal
- Hide
- Suppress
- Withhold
- Keep secret
Common Contexts
- Personal: divulging secrets, emotions, past events
- Professional: divulging financials, strategies, proprietary data
- Dramatic: a character divulges a betrayal, a hidden identity, or a plot twist
Conclusion
To divulge is to cross a boundary—sometimes brave, sometimes dangerous—between what is hidden and what is known. It’s a powerful word for moments of confession, truth-telling, or exposure, whether in life, law, or literature.