ScienceJuly 15, 2026

declassification

/ˌdiːklæsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

Definition

The official act of making previously secret or restricted government information available to the public.

Etymology

Derived from the prefix 'de-' (indicating reversal or removal) added to 'classification,' which refers to the act of categorizing documents by their level of secrecy. It entered English usage as the bureaucratic process of removing those status labels.

In the news

The word refers to a presidential directive aimed at increasing transparency regarding government UAP records. It is central to the council's mission of allowing more information about unexplained objects to be reviewed and shared.

The Harvard astrophysicist best known for arguing that ʻOumuamua might have been alien technology has now been chosen to lead a new US government science council investigating unidentified anomalous phenomena — the unexplained objects most pe

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Space Daily

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