expose

Expose is a verb with several related meanings centered on uncovering or making something known. It can mean to uncover or reveal what was hidden, to lay open to view, or to expose someone or something to a condition or influence such as scrutiny, sunlight, or danger. In journalism and public discourse, to expose can also mean to bring to light wrongdoing, corruption, or abuses by presenting evidence or documentation. The sense of public disclosure is central to the word’s modern usage.

Exposé, often written with an accent or without depending on style, is a noun referring to a report or article that reveals wrongdoing, abuses, or hidden facts, usually in investigative journalism. Exposés aim to illuminate issues that have been concealed, but they can be controversial and may raise questions about accuracy, balance, or sensationalism depending on the publication and motive.

Etymology and related terms: Expose derives from Old French exposer, from Latin exponere, meaning to set forth or explain. Related terms include exposure (the act of exposing or the state of being exposed), disclosure, revelation, and reveal. The word spans everyday usage—such as exposing a flaw or exposing someone to risk—and specialized uses in media and criticism, where it denotes acts of uncovering hidden information for public awareness.