Disclose vs. Reveal — What's the Difference?

Disclose is typically used in contexts where information is made known officially or formally, often carrying a sense of obligation or duty. For instance, companies are required to disclose financial information to their shareholders, emphasizing the procedural aspect of making information known. On the other hand, reveal is used more broadly and can refer to the act of making something known that was previously hidden or unknown, not necessarily bound by formal obligations. It often carries a connotation of surprise or discovery, as in revealing a secret.

While disclose is often associated with the sharing of specific, often sensitive or regulated information, reveal can encompass a wider range of scenarios, including personal, dramatic, or unexpected disclosures. This distinction is notable in legal or corporate settings, where the term disclose is preferred to denote the formal sharing of information under specific conditions or regulations.

Disclose can also imply a more deliberate process of making information known, suggesting a controlled release of information. This is contrasted with reveal, which can imply an unintentional or accidental disclosure, highlighting the differences in intentionality behind the two terms.

The context in which each term is used can greatly affect its connotation. For example, disclosing one's financial status to a regulatory body has a much different connotation than revealing a personal secret to a friend. This highlights how the perceived seriousness or formality of the information being shared can influence the choice between disclose and reveal.

Despite their differences, both terms share a common core of making previously unknown information known to others. This underlying similarity underscores the nuanced nature of language and communication, where the choice of words can subtly influence the interpretation of actions.