exposé · noun — the act of exposing somebody or something; a shameful showing up. It carries an Arena rating of 1462, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, exposé ranks #1,556 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #1,568 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #1,843 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,699 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words.
exposé is pronounced /ˌɛkspoʊˈzeɪ/.
Why “exposé” is a great word
A published report, especially in journalism, that reveals hidden and often scandalous or discreditable facts. Unadapted borrowing from French exposé, the noun use of the past participle of exposer ("to expose"), from Latin expōnere ("to set forth, explain"). First recorded in English use in 1803. Unlike a report, which neutrally recounts events, or a revelation, which broadly discloses any unknown fact, an exposé is a surgical instrument of disclosure, sharpened by investigation. It is the flashlight beam cutting through warehouse darkness to reveal mislabeled crates, the damning quote from a clandestine recording, and the stack of documents that rewrites a manufactured biography—a brief, necessary flare of truth in a landscape of comfortable shadows.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French exposé.
noun
- The act of exposing somebody or something; a shameful showing up.e.g.“"What shall be said to my sister? We cannot steal from her without saying something, as she would conclude we were murdered, apply to the ambassador, and bring on the very exposé we desire to avoid."” — 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXVIII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 65:
- A publication of investigative journalism that reveals hidden and often scandalous truths.
- A formal recital or exposition.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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