clear
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /klɪə/
ipa: /klɪɹ/
ipa: /kliə/
ipa: /kliːɹ/
note: East Anglia, cheer–chair merger
ipa: /klɛː/
rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
homophone: Claire (cheer–chair merger)
homophone: Clare (cheer–chair merger)
Forms: form: clearer
form: clearest
form: CLR
Etymology: From 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”)). Cognate with Danish klar, Dutch klaar, French clair, German klar, Italian chiaro, Norwegian klar, Portuguese claro, Romanian clar, Spanish claro, and Swedish klar.
Senses: examples: text: as clear as crystal
glosses: Transparent in colour.
examples: text: The windshield was clear and clean.
text: Congress passed the President’s Clear Skies legislation.
glosses: Bright; luminous; not dark or obscured.
examples: text: The driver had mistakenly thought the intersection was clear.
text: The coast is clear.
text: Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path[…]. It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights. 'Twas the house I'd seen the roof of from the beach.
ref: 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
text: "[…] On the 18th of October, 1841, a very intense magnetic disturbance was recorded, and amongst other curious facts mentioned is that of the detention of the 10:05pm express train at Exeter for 16 minutes, as from the magnetic disturbance affecting the needles so powerfully, it was impossible to ascertain if the line was clear at Starcross. The superintendent at Exeter reported the next morning that someone was playing tricks with the instruments, and would not let them work."
ref: 2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 30:
glosses: Free of obstacles.
examples: text: clear weather; a clear day
text: Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. The clear light of the bright autumn morning had no terrors for youth and health like hers.
ref: 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
glosses: Without clouds.
topics: climatology
meteorology
natural-sciences
glosses: Of the sky, such that less than one eighth of its area is obscured by clouds.
examples: text: He gave clear instructions not to bother him at work.
text: She made it clear that she dislike me.
text: I'm still not quite clear on what some of these words mean.
text: From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much.[…] But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka’s capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India’s southern tip.
ref: 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:
text: In several months you’re likely to have a clearer picture on how your state intends to treat your forgiven PPP loan and the deductibility of your business expenses not just for tax year 2020 but also tax year 2021.
ref: 2021 February 23, Jeanne Sahadi, “So you got a PPP loan? Here’s what that means for your state taxes”, in CNN Business:
text: NR Chairman Sir Peter Hendy had made it clear that he didn't want anything that smacked of the bus shelters seen at many small, usually unstaffed stations.
ref: 2021 June 30, Anthony Lambert, “A railway station fit for the 21st century”, in RAIL, number 934, page 42:
text: But Trump laid out his clearest message yet on tariffs during an address to House Republicans on Monday, spelling out what imports his administration plan to tax first.
ref: 2025 January 28, David Goldman and Elisabeth Buchwald, “Trump just gave his clearest picture yet of what new tariffs could look like”, in CNN Business:
glosses: Free of ambiguity or doubt; easily understood.
synonyms: conspicuous
glosses: Distinct, sharp, well-marked.
examples: text: a clear conscience
text: Statesman, yet friend to truth! in soul sincere,
 In action faithful, and in honour clear
ref: 1754, Alexander Pope, “Verses occasioned by Mr. Addison's treatise of medals”, in Joseph Addison, Dialogues Upon the Usefulness of Ancient Medals, page 5:
glosses: Free of guilt, or suspicion.
glosses: Without a thickening ingredient.
raw_tags: of a soup
examples: text: clear of texture; clear of odor
glosses: Possessing little or no perceptible stimulus.
examples: text: Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair. She said that you gave it to her that night that you planned to go clear. Did you ever go clear?
ref: 1971, Leonard Cohen, Famous Blue Raincoat:
topics: Scientology
lifestyle
religion
glosses: Free from the influence of engrams; see Clear (Scientology).
examples: text: a clear intellect; a clear head
text: Mother of Science, Now I feel thy Power
 Within me cleere, not onely to diſcerne
 Things in thir Cauſes, but to trace the wayes
 Of higheſt Agents
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
glosses: Able to perceive straightforwardly; keen; acute; penetrating; discriminating.
examples: text: with a countenance as clear / As friendship wears at feasts
ref: c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
glosses: Not clouded with passion; serene; cheerful.
examples: text: Hark! the numbers, soft and clear
 Gently steal upon the ear
ref: c. 1708, Alexander Pope, Ode On St. Cecilia's Day:
glosses: Easily or distinctly heard; audible.
examples: text: clear sand
glosses: Unmixed; entirely pure.
examples: text: a clear complexion; clear lumber
text: high school girls with clear-skinned smiles
ref: 1975, Janis Ian, “At Seventeen”:
glosses: Without defects or blemishes, such as freckles or knots.
examples: text: a clear profit
text: I often wished that I had clear
 For life, six hundred pounds a year
ref: 1728, Jonathan Swift, Horace, Lib. 2, Sat. 6:
glosses: Without diminution; in full; net.
examples: text: The signals were clear to allow the train through Soham, as it steadily approached.
ref: 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:
glosses: Showing a green aspect, allowing a train to proceed past it.
raw_tags: of a railway signal
examples: text: Nando's is clear.
glosses: Good, the best.
examples: text: Spurs are clear of Arsenal.
glosses: Better than, superior to.
Synonyms: sense: transparency
word: pellucid
word: transparent
sense: unmixed
word: homogeneous
Hyponyms: crystal clear
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: all-clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: all clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: as clear as a bell
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: as clear as day
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: as clear as mud
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-air turbulence
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear and convincing evidence
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear as a bell
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear as a mirror
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear as crystal
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear as day
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear as mud
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear as print
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear as the sun at noonday
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear blue water
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-channel
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearcoat
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: Clear Creek
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-cut
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear cut
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-eyed
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: cleareyed
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-headed
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearheaded
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-headedness
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: Clear Hills County
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear ice
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearie
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: Clear Lake
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearly
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearness
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-obscure
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearomizer
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear quartz
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear sailing
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-sighted
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearskin
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearsome
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearspan
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: Clearspring
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearstarch
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear stuff
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear-swept
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: cleartext
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear title
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clear view screen
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearwater
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearway
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: clearweed
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: cleary
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: crystal-clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: crystally clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: everclear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: free and clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: hyperclear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: keep a clear head
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: keep clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: line-clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: loud and clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: make oneself clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: nonclear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: overclear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: a way clear to
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: one's way clear to
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: the way clear to
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: semiclear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: severe clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: superclear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: the coast is clear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: ultraclear
sense: Terms derived from clear (adjective)
word: unclear
Related terms: clarity
in the clear