declassify

verb

de·​clas·​si·​fy (ˌ)dē-ˈkla-sə-ˌfī 

declassified; declassifying; declassifies

transitive verb

: to remove or reduce the security classification of

declassify a secret document

declassification

(ˌ)dē-ˌkla-sə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Examples of declassify in a Sentence

The government has not yet declassified that information.

Recent Examples on the Web

The document was declassified four years ago but is heavily redacted. — Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents related to Wuhan lab funding and released them just before leaving her post in June, and this will be the first congressional hearing on the subject since then. — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 28 July 2026

The Biden administration’s decision to declassify intelligence on Russian preparations leading up to the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine moved unusually fast by intelligence standards. — Brian O'Neill, The Conversation, 20 July 2026

In April 2020, an intelligence assessment determined that Chinese intelligence officials analyzed voter registration data from multiple states, according to a report that was declassified in 2022. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for declassify

• acidify
• alveoli
• antinomy
• areolae
• demystify
• detoxify
• disqualify
• diversify
• electrify
• exemplify
• fasciculi
• identify