exposé
ek-spoh-ZAY
/ɛkspoʊˈzeɪ/
A formal, comprehensive news report or investigative piece that reveals hidden, scandalous, or illegal acts.
Carries a strong moral and investigative weight, implying deliberate wrongdoing uncovered after sustained research.
The story behind the word. Borrowed directly from French in the early 19th century, where it literally meant 'a statement laid out.' It gained its specific journalistic sense of shedding light on public scandal or hidden corruption in Anglo-American press culture.
Word relationships
- revelation: 'Revelation' refers to the fact exposed, whereas 'exposé' refers specifically to the published document or report.
- investigation: 'Investigation' describes the process of inquiring, while 'exposé' is the final published outcome exposing wrongdoing.
- cover-up: A cover-up actively hides truth, whereas an exposé brings hidden truth to light.
Commonly confused with
- exposure: 'Exposure' is the condition of being exposed or vulnerable; 'exposé' is a written or broadcast investigative story.
Collocations
- front-page exposé
- investigative exposé
- publish an exposé
- scathing exposé
Example sentences
- "The newspaper published a scathing exposé detailing systemic corruption within the municipal housing authority." Investigative journalism
- "Following the television exposé, several corporate executives resigned amid public outrage." Corporate accountability
Memory hook
EXPOSÉ sounds like EXPOSE; it is an official story that EXPOSES dirty secrets to the public. Exposé exposes what was meant to stay hidden.
When not to use
Avoid using for routine news updates or lighthearted feature stories.
Fun facts
- The acute accent on the final 'é' is preserved in English to distinguish it from the verb 'expose'.
Related words
Explore more words
investigative, scandalous, disclosure, denounce, outrage, probe
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.