clear

English Online Dictionary. What means clear‎? What does clear mean?

English

Alternative forms

• CLR (contraction used in electronics)

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): /klɪə/
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /klɪɹ/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /kliə/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /kliːɹ/
• (East Anglia, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /klɛː/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophones: Claire (cheer–chair merger), Clare (cheer–chair merger)

Adjective

clear (comparative clearer, superlative clearest)

1. Transparent in colour.

2. Bright; luminous; not dark or obscured.

3. Free of obstacles.
4. Without clouds.
5. (meteorology) Of the sky, such that less than one eighth of its area is obscured by clouds.
6. Free of ambiguity or doubt; easily understood.
7. Distinct, sharp, well-marked.

   Synonym: conspicuous

8. (figuratively) Free of guilt, or suspicion.
9. (of a soup) Without a thickening ingredient.
10. Possessing little or no perceptible stimulus.

11. (Scientology) Free from the influence of engrams; see Clear (Scientology).
12. Able to perceive straightforwardly; keen; acute; penetrating; discriminating.
13. Not clouded with passion; serene; cheerful.
14. Easily or distinctly heard; audible.
15. Unmixed; entirely pure.

16. Without defects or blemishes, such as freckles or knots.
17. Without diminution; in full; net.
18. (of a railway signal) Showing a green aspect, allowing a train to proceed past it.
19. (MLE) Good, the best.

20. (MLE) Better than, superior to.

Synonyms

• (transparency): pellucid, transparent; See also Thesaurus:transparent
• (free of ambiguity or doubt): See also Thesaurus:comprehensible of Thesaurus:explicit
• (distinct): See also Thesaurus:distinct
• (easily or distinctly heard): See also Thesaurus:audible
• (unmixed): homogeneous

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “transparency”): opaque, turbid
• (antonym(s) of “bright”): See also Thesaurus:dark
• (antonym(s) of “without clouds”): cloudy, nebulous; See also Thesaurus:nebulous
• (antonym(s) of “free of ambiguity or doubt”): See also Thesaurus:incomprehensible and Thesaurus:confusing
• (antonym(s) of “of a soup”): thick
• obscure

Hyponyms

• crystal clear

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• → Welsh: clir

Translations

Adverb

clear (not comparable)

1. All the way; entirely.

2. Not near something or touching it.

3. Free (or separate) from others.
4. In a clear manner; plainly.

Derived terms

• steer clear

Translations

Verb

clear (third-person singular simple present clears, present participle clearing, simple past and past participle cleared)

1. (transitive) To remove obstructions, impediments or other unwanted items from.
   • 1715–8, Matthew Prior, “Alma: or, The Progreſs of the Mind” in Poems on Several Occaſions (1741), canto III, p.297:

     Faith, Dick, I muſt confeſs, ’tis true
     (But this is only Entre Nous)
     That many knotty Points there are,
     Which All diſcuſs, but Few can clear.
2. (transitive) To remove (items or material) so as to leave something unobstructed or open.
3. (intransitive) To leave abruptly; to clear off or clear out.
4. (intransitive) To become free from obstruction or obscurement; to become transparent.

5. (transitive) To eliminate ambiguity or doubt from (a matter); to clarify or resolve; to clear up.

6. (transitive) To remove from suspicion, especially of having committed a crime.
7. (transitive) To pass without interference; to miss.

8. (transitive, activities such as jumping or throwing) To exceed a stated mark.

9. (transitive, video games) To finish or complete (a stage, challenge, or game).

10. (intransitive) Of a check or financial transaction, to go through as payment; to be processed so that the money is transferred.

11. (transitive, business) To earn a profit of; to net.
12. (transitive) To approve or authorise for a particular purpose or action; to give clearance to.

13. (transitive) To obtain approval or authorisation in respect of.

14. (intransitive) To obtain a clearance.

15. (transitive) To obtain permission to use (a sample of copyrighted audio) in another track.
16. To disengage oneself from incumbrances, distress, or entanglements; to become free.
    • 1613, Francis Bacon, The Eſſaies (second edition), essay 18: “Of Expences”:

      Beſides, he that cleares at once will relapſe: for finding himſelfe out of ſtraights, he will reuert to his cuſtomes. But hee that cleareth by degrees, induceth an habite of frugality, and gaineth as well vpon his minde, as vpon his Eſtate.

17. (transitive, intransitive, sports) To hit, kick, head, punch etc. (a ball, puck) away in order to defend one's goal.
18. (transitive, computing) To reset or unset; to return to an empty state or to zero.

19. (transitive, computing) To style (an element within a document) so that it is not permitted to float at a given position.
20. (transitive, firearms) To unload a firearm, or undergo an unloading procedure, in order to prevent negligent discharge; for safety reasons, to check whether one's firearm is loaded or unloaded.

Synonyms

• (clear a forest): stub

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

clear (plural clears)

1. (carpentry) Full extent; distance between extreme limits; especially; the distance between the nearest surfaces of two bodies, or the space between walls.

2. (video games) The completion of a stage or challenge, or of the whole game.

3. (Scientology) A person who is free from the influence of engrams.

See also

• in the clear

References

• “clear”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “clear”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Carle, 'clare, Clare, Caler, Carel, carle, recal, lacer