Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Free from clouds, mist, or haze.
  • adjective Not obscured or darkened; bright.
  • adjective Easily seen through; transparent.
  • adjective Free from flaw, blemish, or impurity.
  • adjective Free from impediment, obstruction, or hindrance; open.
  • adjective Plain or evident to the mind; unmistakable.
  • adjective Easily perceptible to the eye or ear; distinct.
  • adjective Discerning or perceiving easily; keen.
  • adjective Free from doubt or confusion; certain.
  • adjective Free from qualification or limitation; absolute.
  • adjective Free from guilt; untroubled.
  • adjective Having been freed from contact, proximity, or connection.
  • adjective Free from charges or deductions; net.
  • adjective Containing nothing.
  • adverb Distinctly; clearly.
  • adverb Out of the way; completely away.
  • adverb Informal All the way; completely.
  • intransitive verb To make light, clear, or bright.
  • intransitive verb To rid of impurities, blemishes, muddiness, or foreign matter.
  • intransitive verb To free from confusion, doubt, or ambiguity; make plain or intelligible.
  • intransitive verb To rid of objects or obstructions.
  • intransitive verb To make (a way or clearing) by removing obstructions.
  • intransitive verb To remove (objects or obstructions).
  • intransitive verb To remove the occupants of.
  • intransitive verb To remove (people).
  • intransitive verb To move or shoot (a ball or puck) away from the goal or out of the defensive zone.
  • intransitive verb To clear a ball or puck out of (the defensive zone), as in lacrosse or hockey.
  • intransitive verb To rid (a memory location or buffer, for example) of instructions or data.
  • intransitive verb To remove (instructions or data) from memory.
  • intransitive verb To free from a legal charge or imputation of guilt; acquit.
  • intransitive verb To pass by, under, or over without contact.
  • intransitive verb To settle (a debt).
  • intransitive verb To gain (a given amount) as net profit or earnings.
  • intransitive verb To pass (a bill of exchange, such as a check) through a clearing-house.
  • intransitive verb To secure the approval of.
  • intransitive verb To authorize or approve.
  • intransitive verb To free (a ship or cargo) from legal detention at a harbor by fulfilling customs and harbor requirements.
  • intransitive verb To give clearance or authorization to.
  • intransitive verb To free (the throat) of phlegm by making a rasping sound.
  • intransitive verb To become clear.
  • intransitive verb To go away; disappear.
  • intransitive verb To exchange checks and bills or settle accounts through a clearing-house.
  • intransitive verb To pass through the banking system and be debited and credited to the relevant accounts.
  • intransitive verb To comply with customs and harbor requirements in discharging a cargo or in leaving or entering a port.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English cler, from Old French, from Latin clārus, clear, bright; see kelə- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English clere, from Anglo-Norman cler, from Old French cler (Modern French clair), from Latin clarus. Displaced native Middle English schir ("clear, pure") (from Old English scīr ("clear, bright")), Middle English skere ("clear, sheer") (from Old English scǣre and Old Norse skǣr ("sheer, clear, pure")), Middle English smolt ("clear (of mind), serene") (from Old English smolt ("peaceful, serene")).

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word clear.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • a town in Alaska, USA

    February 26, 2008

  • A contranym: One both "sees" clearly and "blanks" what they see.

    May 14, 2008