reveal

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɹɪˈvil/ UK /ɹɪˈviːl/ See IPA manual

Freq #3416

Meanings

1

verb
To make known something that was secret or unknown.

She finally revealed the truth about what had happened.
2

verb
To show something that was hidden.

He pulled back the curtain to reveal a stunning view of the sea.
3

noun
The moment when something hidden or surprising is shown or made known.

The big reveal at the end of the film shocked everyone.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make known something... expose disclose divulge

2 verb · to show something that was... uncover unveil

More bare bewray display luster nake open show uncloak unfold

Opposites

cover hide

Word family

Forms revealedreveals

Derived forms misrevealrevealabilityrevealablerevealeerevealerrevealmentrevelation

Related forms unveil veilvelumvoile

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

reveal your age
disclose how old you are

Verb + noun

Simplified etymology

Reveal comes from Latin revelare “to lay bare,” conceived as lifting a veil. It entered English in the late Middle English period and is historically associated with veil through this image of uncovering what was hidden.

Etymology

From Middle English revēlen, from Old French reveler, from Latin revēlāre (“to reveal, uncover”), from re- (“back, again”) + vēlāre (“to cover”), from vēlum (“a cloth, covering, curtain, veil, awning, sail”) (whence also English veil, English unveil, English voile, Russian вуаль (vualʹ), Russian завуали́ровать (zavualírovatʹ, “to veil”) (compare typologically)). Also compare typologically English uncloak, dismantle, divest, invest, unmask, Russian разобла́чать (razobláčatʹ) (akin to облаче́ние (oblačénije), срыва́ть покро́вы (sryvátʹ pokróvy) (покро́в (pokróv, “cover, covering”)).

revelen Middle English reveler Old French revēlāre Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# reveal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɹɪˈvil/
**IPA (UK):** /ɹɪˈviːl/
**Frequency rank:** 3416

## Meanings
1. To make known something that was secret or unknown.
2. To show something that was hidden.
3. The moment when something hidden or surprising is shown or made known.

## Examples
- She finally revealed the truth about what had happened.
- He pulled back the curtain to reveal a stunning view of the sea.
- The big reveal at the end of the film shocked everyone.

## Synonyms
- bare
- bewray
- display
- expose
- luster
- nake
- open
- show
- uncloak
- uncover
- unfold
- unveil

## Antonyms
- cover
- hide

## Derived Forms
- misreveal
- revealability
- revealable
- revealee
- revealer
- revealment
- revelation

## Related Forms
- unveil
- veil
- velum
- voile

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: revelen
- Root: reveler
- Root: revēlāre

## Etymology
From Middle English revēlen, from Old French reveler, from Latin revēlāre (“to reveal, uncover”), from re- (“back, again”) + vēlāre (“to cover”), from vēlum (“a cloth, covering, curtain, veil, awning, sail”) (whence also English veil, English unveil, English voile, Russian вуаль (vualʹ), Russian завуали́ровать (zavualírovatʹ, “to veil”) (compare typologically)). Also compare typologically English uncloak, dismantle, divest, invest, unmask, Russian разобла́чать (razobláčatʹ) (akin to облаче́ние (oblačénije), срыва́ть покро́вы (sryvátʹ pokróvy) (покро́в (pokróv, “cover, covering”)).

## AI Etymology
Reveal comes from Middle English revēlen, from Old French reveler, from Latin revēlāre (“to reveal, uncover”), from re- (“back, again”) + vēlāre (“to cover”), from vēlum (“a cloth, covering, curtain, veil, awning, sail”) (whence also English veil, English unveil, English voile, Russian вуаль (vualʹ), Russian завуали́ровать (zavualírovatʹ, “to veil”) (compare typologically)). Also compare typologically English uncloak, dismantle, divest, invest, unmask, Russian разобла́чать (razobláčatʹ) (akin to облаче́ние (oblačénije), срыва́ть покро́вы (sryvátʹ pokróvy) (покро́в (pokróv, “cover, covering”)). Modern senses include to make known something that was secret or unknown. and to show something that was hidden.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as misreveal, revealability, revealable, revealee, revealer, and revealment and related forms such as unveil, veil, velum, and voile.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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