Word.ws English Dictionary

clear

UK/ˈklɪə/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

Australia/ˈkliə/

clear adjective: transparent in colour.

Adjective

clear (comparative clearer, superlative clearest)

  1. Transparent in colour.
    • as clear as crystal
    Antonyms:
    opaque, turbid
  2. Bright; luminous; not dark or obscured.
    • The windshield was clear and clean.
    • Congress passed the President’s Clear Skies legislation.
  3. Free of obstacles.
    • The driver had mistakenly thought the intersection was clear.
    • the coast is clear
  4. Without clouds.
    • clear weather; a clear day
    • 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.1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC
  5. Of the sky, such that less than one eighth of its area is obscured by clouds.
  6. Free of ambiguity or doubt; easily understood.
    • He gave clear instructions not to bother him at work.
    • She made it clear that she dislike me.
  7. Distinct, sharp, well-marked.
  8. (figuratively) Free of guilt, or suspicion.
    • a clear conscience
    • Statesman, yet friend to truth! in soul sincere,
      In action faithful, and in honour clear1754, Alexander Pope, “Verses occasioned by Mr. Addison's treatise of medals”, in Joseph Addison, Dialogues Upon the Usefulness of Ancient Medals, page 5
  9. Without a thickening ingredient.
    Antonyms:
    thick
  10. Possessing little or no perceptible stimulus.
    • clear of texture; clear of odor
  11. Free from the influence of engrams; see Clear (Scientology).
    • 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?1971, Leonard Cohen, Famous Blue Raincoat
  12. Able to perceive straightforwardly; keen; acute; penetrating; discriminating.
    • a clear intellect; a clear head
    • 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 Agents1667, 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...
Show 8 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. Not clouded with passion; serene; cheerful.
    • with a countenance as clear / As friendship wears at feastsc. 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...
  2. Easily or distinctly heard; audible.
    • Hark! the numbers, soft and clear
      Gently steal upon the earc. 1708, Alexander Pope, Ode On St. Cecilia's Day
    Synonyms:
    audible, hearable
  3. Unmixed; entirely pure.
    • clear sand
    Synonyms:
    homogeneous
  4. Without defects or blemishes, such as freckles or knots.
    • a clear complexion; clear lumber
    • high school girls with clear-skinned smiles1975, Janis Ian, “At Seventeen”
  5. Without diminution; in full; net.
    • a clear profit
    • I often wished that I had clear
      For life, six hundred pounds a year1728, Jonathan Swift, Horace, Lib. 2, Sat. 6
  6. Showing a green aspect, allowing a train to proceed past it.
    • The signals were clear to allow the train through Soham, as it steadily approached.2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42
  7. (Multicultural-London-English) Good, the best.
    • Nando's is clear.
  8. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, especially) Better than, superior to. (usually with points, votes, etc.)
    • Spurs are clear of Arsenal.

Adverb

clear (not comparable)

  1. (informal) All the way; entirely.
    • I threw it clear across the river to the other side.
  2. Not near something or touching it.
    • Stand clear of the rails, a train is coming.
  3. Free (or separate) from others.
    • Much soul-searching is going on at the west London club who, just seven weeks ago, were five points clear at the top of the table and playing with the verve with which they won the title last season.2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC
  4. In a clear manner; plainly.
    • Now clear I understand
      What oft my steadiest thoughts have searched in vain1667, John Milton, “Book XII”, 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...
    • I want you to know how he spoke: he spoke loud, and he spoke clear.1988, Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses

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.
    • Police took two hours to clear the road.
    • If you clear the table, I'll wash up.
  2. (transitive) To remove (items or material) so as to leave something unobstructed or open.
    • Please clear all this stuff off the table.
    • The loggers came and cleared the trees.
    Synonyms:
    stub
  3. (intransitive) To leave abruptly; to clear off or clear out.
    • Then the whole population cleared into the forest, expecting all kinds of calamities to happen, while, on the other hand, the steamer Fresleven commanded left also in a bad panic, in charge of the engineer, I believe.1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 199
  4. (intransitive) To become free from obstruction or obscurement; to become transparent.
    • When the road cleared we continued our journey.
    • After a heavy rain, the sky cleared nicely for the evening.
  5. (transitive) To eliminate ambiguity or doubt from (a matter); to clarify or resolve; to clear up.
    • We need to clear this issue once and for all.
  6. (transitive) To remove from suspicion, especially of having committed a crime.
    • The court cleared the man of murder.
    • […] yet I appeal to the reader, and am sure he will clear me from Partiality.1713, John Dryden, “Preface”, in Fables Antient and Modern
  7. (transitive) To pass without interference; to miss.
    • The door just barely clears the table as it closes.
    • The leaping horse easily cleared the hurdles.
  8. (transitive, activities such as jumping or throwing) To exceed a stated mark.
    • She was the first female high jumper to clear two metres.
  9. (transitive) To finish or complete (a stage, challenge, or game).
    • I cleared the first level in 36 seconds.
  10. (intransitive) Of a check or financial transaction, to go through as payment; to be processed so that the money is transferred.
    • The check might not clear for a couple of days.
  11. (transitive) To earn a profit of; to net.
    • He's been clearing seven thousand a week.
    • The profit which she cleared on the cargo […] cannot be estimated at less than a thousand guineas.1843, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, chapter V
  12. (transitive) To approve or authorise for a particular purpose or action; to give clearance to.
    • Air traffic control cleared the plane to land.
    • The marketing department has cleared the press release for publication.
Show 8 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. (transitive) To obtain approval or authorisation in respect of.
    • I've cleared the press release with the marketing department, so go ahead and publish it.
    • The plane has been cleared for landing.
  2. (intransitive) To obtain a clearance.
    • The steamer cleared for Liverpool today.
  3. (transitive) To obtain permission to use (a sample of copyrighted audio) in another track.
  4. To disengage oneself from incumbrances, distress, or entanglements; to become free.
    • 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.1613, Francis Bacon, The Eſſaies (second edition), essay 18: “Of Expences”
  5. (intransitive, transitive) To hit, kick, head, punch etc. (a ball, puck) away in order to defend one's goal.
    • The goalkeeper rushed forward to clear the ball.
    • A low cross came in, and Smith cleared.
  6. (transitive) To reset or unset; to return to an empty state or to zero.
    • to clear an array; to clear a single bit (binary digit) in a value
  7. (transitive) To style (an element within a document) so that it is not permitted to float at a given position.
    • To get the footer acting right, you need to float it and clear it on both margins.2010, Andy Harris, HTML, XHTML and CSS All-In-One For Dummies, page 290
  8. (transitive) 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.
    • To prevent any shooting accidents, remember to clear your pistol and stay aware of your surroundings.

Noun (1)

clear (plural clears)

  1. Empty or open area.
    • The deer were standing in the clear.
  2. Full extent; distance between extreme limits; especially; the distance between the nearest surfaces of two bodies, or the space between walls.
    • a room ten feet square in the clear
  3. The completion of a stage or challenge, or of the whole game.
    • It took me weeks to achieve a one-credit clear (1CC).
  4. A person who is free from the influence of engrams.
    • Neither of them had heard of Kelly or Kalki, but then neither of them had heard of Horace, Alexander Pope, [Blaise] Pascal, [Denis] Diderot, [Werner] Heisenberg’s law or entropy. Their lives were spent, successfully, repelling information. They were perfect “clears,” to use Scientologist jargon.1978, Gore Vidal, chapter 2, in Kalki: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN, page 18
    • Today, clear status can be conferred only by high ranking ministers of the church, and clears are not presented for examination by outsiders.1985, Rodney Stark, William Sims Bainbridge, The Future of Religion, page 269

Noun (2) capitalized: Clear

Clear (uncountable)

  1. An idea state of beingness free of unwanted influences.

clear meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

clear in Hindi

transparent in colour
पारदर्शी pārdarśī
bright, not obscured
चमकीला camkīlā
free of ambiguity or doubt
स्पष्ट spaṣṭ

clear in Tamil

தெளிவான, அழி, துடை, துடைத்தொழி, தெளிவுப்படுத்து

clear in Marathi

to eliminate ambiguity or doubt; to clarify
स्पष्ट करणे spaṣṭa karṇe

clear in Urdu

clear
آئینہ āīna, پدید padīd
clear, apparent, obviously
ظاہر zāhir
clear, manifest, visible
آشکارا āśkārā
clear; evident, open
پرکاش prakāś
More languagesFewer languages
clear in Bengali
স্পষ্ট spośṭo, নির্মল nirmol
clear in Telugu
వర్ణరహితము varṇarahitamu, స్పష్టము spaṣṭamu, నిరాటంకము nirāṭaṅkamu, నిర్మలము nirmalamu
clear in Malayalam
തെളിഞ്ഞ, ശുഭ്രമായ, വ്യക്തമായ, പ്രസന്നമായ
clear in Kannada
ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟ spaṣṭa, ತಿಳಿ tiḷi
clear in Punjabi
ਸਾਫ਼ sāf, ਤਾਰਨਾ tārnā
clear in Gujarati
સાફ sāph
clear in Sanskrit
प्रसन्न prasanna, स्पष्ट spaṣṭá, प्रकाशक prakāśaka, शुक्र śukrá
clear in Pashto
روڼ ruṇ, څرګند śargand, صفا safâ
clear in Arabic
شَفَّاف šaffāf, وَاضِح wāḍiḥ
clear in Malay
jelas
clear in Indonesian
bening, jelas, cerah
clear in Persian
روشن rowšan
clear in Thai
ใส sǎi, ชัดเจน chát-jeen, ปลอดโปร่ง bplɔ̀ɔt-bpròong, กระจ่างแจ้ง
clear in Vietnamese
trong

Examples of clear in a sentence

  • I'm still not quite clear on what some of these words mean.
  • Shake the test tube well, and the liquid should slowly clear.
  • If we stay on this course we should clear the buoy.
  • It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
  • 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.2021 June 30, Anthony Lambert, “A railway station fit for the 21st century”, in RAIL, number 934, page 42:
  • 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.2025 January 28, David Goldman and Elisabeth Buchwald, “Trump just gave his clearest picture yet of what new tariffs could look like”, in...

All 40 example sentences with clear

Synonyms of clear

30 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

10 more antonymsFewer antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of clear

Forms of clear

Adjective
comparativeclearer
superlativeclearest
alternative formCLR
Verb
third-person singular presentclears
present participleclearing
past participlecleared
pastcleared
Noun
pluralclears

Past tense of clear: cleared

Plural of clear: clears

Origin of clear

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, German, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish klar, Dutch klaar, French clair, Italian chiaro, Portuguese claro, Romanian clar, Spanish claro.

Words formed from clear

Phrases with clear

41 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with clear

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about clear

What does clear mean?
Clear means transparent in colour.
What is clear in Hindi?
Clear in Hindi is पारदर्शी (pārdarśī), चमकीला (camkīlā), स्पष्ट (spaṣṭ). See Clear meaning in Hindi.
How do you use clear in a sentence?
I'm still not quite clear on what some of these words mean.
What part of speech is clear?
Clear can be an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce clear?
Clear is pronounced /ˈklɪə/ (UK).

Words near clear in the dictionary

  1. cleanup in aisle
  2. cleanup man
  3. cleanup men
  4. cleanup on aisle
  5. cleanups
  6. clear
  7. clear and convincing evidence
  8. clear as a bell
  9. clear as a mirror
  10. clear as crystal
  11. clear as day

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: clear (page history and authors); Clear (page history and authors); clear (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); آئینہ (Urdu) (page history and authors); নির্মল (Bengali) (page history and authors); clear (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ತಿಳಿ (Kannada) (page history and authors); ਤਾਰਨਾ (Punjabi) (page history and authors); સાફ (Gujarati) (page history and authors); द्युमत् (Sanskrit) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-clear.ogg.

Cite this entry: “clear.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/clear. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.