clearness

Noun

clearness (usually uncountable, plural clearnesses)

1. (obsolete, usually) Brightness, brilliancy.
   • Thenne sayd he Fair swete fader Ihesu Cryst yf euer I dyd thyng that pleasyd the lord / for thy pyte ne haue me not in despyte for my synnes done afore tyme / and that thou shewe me some thynge of that I seke / And with that he sawe the chamber dore open and there came oute a grete clerenes / that...1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter XV, in Le Morte Darthur, book XVII
2. (usually) Mental or sensory distinctness; clarity of understanding, perception etc.
   • The daily press is the evil principle of the modern world, and time will only serve to disclose this fact with greater and greater clearness.1966 September 6, “The Lowest Depths”, in Time
3. (usually) The state of being free from obscurities or opacity; distinctness of light, colour etc.
   • The clearness of the water meant I could still see the key lying on the river-bed.
4. (usually) The state of being free from obstruction or interference.
   • The clearness of the path made for an easy hike.