clear
clear [clear clears cleared clearing clearer clearest] adjective, verb, adverb, noun BrE [klɪə(r)] NAmE [klɪr]
adjective (clear·er, clear·est)
WITHOUT CONFUSION/DOUBT
1. easy to understand and not causing any confusion
• She gave me clear and precise directions.
• Are these instructions clear enough?
•Your meaning needs to be clear.
•You'll do as you're told, is that clear?
•This behaviour must stop— do I make myself clear (= express myself clearly so there is no doubt about what I mean)?
•I hope I made it clear to him that he was no longer welcome here.
2. obvious and leaving no doubt at all
• This is a clear case of fraud.
• She won the election by a clear majority.
•His height gives him a clear advantage.
•a clear warning of the risks
•~ (to sb) (that)… It was quite clear to me that she was lying.
•It is clear from the graph that sales have dropped sharply.
•~ what, how, whether, etc… It is not clear what they want us to do.
•How he got there was not clear.
3. having or feeling no doubt or confusion
•~ about/on sth Are you clear about the arrangements for tomorrow?
• My memory is not clear on that point.
•~ what, how, whether, etc… I'm still not clear what the job involves.
•We need a clear understanding of the problems involved.
MIND
4. thinking in a sensible and logical way, especially in a difficult situation
•a clear thinker
• You'll need to keep a clear head for your interview.
EASY TO SEE/HEAR
5. easy to see or hear
• The photo wasn't very clear.
• The voice on the phone was clear and strong.
•She was in Australia but I could hear her voice as clear as a bell.
TRANSPARENT
6. that you can see through
• The water was so clear we could see the bottom of the lake.
•clear glass
•a clear colourless liquid
•a sheet of clear cellophane
SKY/WEATHER
7. without cloud or ↑mist
•a clear blue sky
• On a clear day you can see France.
SKIN
8. without spots or marks
•clear skin
•a clear complexion
EYES
9. bright and lively
NOT BLOCKED
10. ~ (of sth) free from things that are blocking the way or covering the surface of sth
• The road was clear and I ran over.
• All exits must be kept clear of baggage.
•You won't get a clear view of the stage from here.
•I always leave a clear desk at the end of the day.
•Most roads are now clear of snow.
CONSCIENCE
11. if you have a clear ↑conscience or your ↑conscience is clear, you do not feel guilty
FREE FROM STH BAD
12. ~ of sth free from sth that is unpleasant
•They were still not clear of all suspicion.
•We are finally clear of debt.
NOT TOUCHING/NEAR
13. not before noun ~ (of sb/sth) not touching sth; a distance away from sth
•The plane climbed until it was clear of the clouds.
•Make sure you park your car clear of the entrance.
PERIOD OF TIME
14. only before noun whole or complete
•Allow three clear days for the letter to arrive.
•You must give seven clear days' notice of the meeting.
SUM OF MONEY
15. only before noun remaining when taxes, costs, etc. have been taken away
Syn: ↑net
•They had made a clear profit of £2 000.
PHONETICS
16. (of a speech sound)produced with the central part of the tongue close to the top of the mouth. In many accents of English, clear /[l] / is used before a vowel, as in leave.
Opp: ↑dark
more at leave the field clear for sb at ↑field n., keep a clear/cool head at ↑head n., loud and clear at ↑loud adv.
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French cler, from Latin clarus.
Thesaurus:
clear adj.
1.
•She gave clear and precise directions.
plain • • explicit • • unambiguous • • accessible • • intelligible • |formal comprehensible • • express • |written lucid •
Opp: unclear, Opp: confusing
clear/explicit/unambiguous about sth
clear/plain/intelligible/comprehensible language/English
make sth clear/plain/explicit/unambiguous/intelligible/comprehensible (to sb)
2.
•It's clear to me that she's lying.
plain • • obvious • • apparent • • evident • • self-evident • • noticeable • • distinct • • definite • • decided • • conspicuous • • unmistakable • |especially written marked • • pronounced • |formal discernible •
Opp: unclear
clear/plain/obvious/apparent/evident/self-evident/noticeable/discernible to/from/in sb/sth
clear/plain/obvious/apparent/evident who/how/where/why…
clear/plain/obvious/apparent/evident/noticeable/distinct/definite/marked/pronounced/discernible difference
Which word? You make sth clear or plain deliberately, but you make sth obvious without meaning to:
•I hope I make myself clear/plain.
✗ I hope I make myself obvious.:
•Try not to make your dislike so obvious.
✗ Try not to make it so clear/plain. Apparent and evident are rather formal and can be replaced by obvious.
3.
•I'm still not clear what the job entails.
sure • • certain •
Opp: vague
clear/sure/certain about sth
clear/sure/certain that…
clear/sure/certain who/what/how, etc.
4.
•Items must be carried in a clear plastic bag.
•The beach was perfect— white sand and clear blue water.
transparent • • see-through • |BrE colourless • |AmE colorless • |written translucent •
Opp: opaque, Opp: cloudy
clear/transparent/translucent glass
clear/transparent/see-through plastic
clear/transparent/colourless varnish
Clear or transparent? Clear is the word most often used to describe water. Transparent is used to describe solid things or materials, not liquids (except varnish).
Word Family:
clear adjective (≠ unclear)
clearly adverb
clarity noun
clarify verb
Language Bank:
evidence
Giving proof
There is clear evidence that ▪ TV advertising influences what children buy.
It is clear ▪ from numerous studies that ▪ TV advertising influences what children buy.
▪ Recent research demonstrates ▪ that TV advertising influences children's spending habits.
▪ Many parents think that TV advertising influences their children. This view is supported by ▪ the findings of a recent study, which show ▪ a clear link between television advertisements and children's spending habits.
▪ The findings also reveal ▪ that most children are unaware of the persuasive purpose of advertising.
There is little evidence that ▪ children understand the persuasive intent of advertising.
▪ The results contradict ▪ claims that advertising is unrelated to children's spending habits.
▪ Manufacturers argue that it is difficult to prove ▪ that advertising alone influences what children buy.
Language Banks at ↑argue, ↑e.g., ↑illustrate
Language Bank:
impersonal
Giving opinions using impersonal language
It is vital that ▪ more is done to prevent the illegal trade in wild animals. ◇ ▪ (Compare: We have to do more to stop people trading wild animals illegally. ▪)
It is clear that ▪ more needs to be done to protect biodiversity. ◇ ▪ (Compare: We clearly need to do more to protect biodiversity. ▪)
It is unfortunate that ▪ the practice of keeping monkeys as pets still continues. ◇ ▪ (Compare: It's absolutely terrible that people still keep monkeys as pets. ▪)
It is difficult ▪ for many people to ▪ understand the reasons why certain individuals choose to hunt animals for sport. ◇ ▪ (Compare: I can't understand why anyone would want to kill animals for fun. ▪)
▪ Unfortunately, it would seem that ▪ not enough is being done to support tiger conservation. ◇ ▪ (Compare: Governments aren't doing enough to help tiger conservation. ▪)
There is no doubt that ▪ the greatest threat to polar bears comes from global warming. ◇ ▪ (Compare: I believe that the greatest threat… ▪)
Language Banks at ↑opinion, ↑perhaps, ↑vital
Synonyms:
clear
obvious • apparent • evident • plain
These words all describe sth that is easy to see or understand and leaves no doubts or confusion.
clear • easy to see or understand and leaving no doubts: ▪ It was quite clear to me that she was lying.
obvious • easy to see or understand: ▪ It's obvious from what he said that something is wrong.
apparent • [not usually before noun] (rather formal) easy to see or understand: ▪ It was apparent from her face that she was really upset.
evident • (rather formal) easy to see or understand: ▪ The orchestra played with evident enjoyment.
plain • easy to see or understand: ▪ He ▪ made it ▪ very ▪ plain ▪ that he wanted us to leave.
which word?
These words all have almost exactly the same meaning. There are slight differences in register and patterns of use. If you make sth clear/plain, you do so deliberately because you want people to understand sth; if you make sth obvious, you usually do it without meaning to: I hope I make myself obvious. ◇ Try not to make it so clear/plain. In the expressions clear majority, for obvious reasons, for no apparent reason and plain to see, none of the other words can be used instead. You can have a clear/an obvious/a plain case of sth but not: an evident case of sth.
clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain to sb/sth
clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain that/what/who/how/where/why…
to seem/become/make sth clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain
perfectly/quite/very clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain
Synonyms:
sure
confident • convinced • certain • positive • clear
These words all describe sb who knows without doubt that sth is true or will happen.
sure • [not before noun] without any doubt that you are right, that sth is true, that you will get sth or that sth will happen: ▪ ‘Is that John over there?’ ‘I'm not sure.’ ◇ ▪ Are you sure about that? ◇ ▪ England must win this game to be sure of qualifying.
Sure is often used in negative statements and questions, because there is some doubt or anxiety over the matter. If there is no doubt, people often say quite sure: ▪ I'm quite sure (that) I left my bag here ▪ (= I have no doubt about it) ▪.
confident • completely sure that sth will happen in the way that you want or expect: ▪ I'm quite confident that you'll get the job. ◇ ▪ The team feels confident of winning.
Confident is a stronger and more definite word than sure and is more often used in positive statements, when you feel no anxiety.
convinced • [not before noun] completely sure that sth is true or right, especially because the evidence seems to prove it or sb else has persuaded you to believe it: ▪ I'm convinced that she's innocent.
certain • [not usually before noun] sure that you are right or that sth is true: ▪ Are you absolutely certain about this?
sure or certain?
Like sure, certain is often used in negative statements and questions. It is slightly more formal than sure; sure is more frequent, especially in spoken English.
positive • [not before noun] (rather informal) completely sure that sth is true: ▪ She was positive that he'd been there. ◇ ▪ ‘Are you sure?’ ‘Positive.’
clear • (often used in negative statements and questions) having no doubt or confusion about sth: ▪ My memory isn't really clear on that point.
sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear about sth
sure/confident/convinced/certain of sth
sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear that…
sure/certain/clear who/what/how, etc.
to feel sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive
quite/absolutely/completely/fairly/pretty sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear
not altogether sure/confident/convinced/certain/clear
Example Bank:
•It was clear to us that there was a problem.
•It wasn't entirely clear whether she wanted us to help.
•Make sure you keep all gutters and drainpipes clear of leaves.
•She was quite clear about her reasons for leaving.
•The photograph wasn't very clear.
•The roads are reasonably clear of snow.
•The water was fairly clear.
•You have to make your intentions crystal clear to them.
•Are the instructions clear enough?
•I hope I made it clear to him that he's not welcome here.
•I'm still not clear what the job entails.
•It was quite clear to me that she was lying.
•It's likely to be a clear night, with temperatures dropping to freezing.
•Items must be carried in a clear plastic bag.
•My memory isn't really clear on that point.
•On a clear day, you can see the mountains in the distance.
•Our policy on pensions is perfectly clear.
•She has a clear, simple writing style.
•The beach was perfect— white sand and clear blue water.
•The water comes out of the spring crystal clear and totally pure.
•The weather was bright and clear.
•They made their intentions abundantly clear.
•This behaviour must stop! Do I make myself clear?.
•You'll do as you're told. Is that clear?
•Your meaning needs to be crystal clear.
•a crisp, clear autumn morning
Idioms: ↑clear as day ▪ ↑clear as mud ▪ ↑clear sailing ▪ ↑clear the air ▪ ↑clear the decks ▪ ↑clear the way ▪ ↑clear your throat ▪ ↑in the clear ▪ ↑keep clear
Derived: ↑clear away ▪ ↑clear off ▪ ↑clear out ▪ ↑clear something away ▪ ↑clear something out ▪ ↑clear something up ▪ ↑clear up
verb
REMOVE STH/SB
1. transitive to remove sth that is not wanted or needed from a place
•~ sth/sb I had cleared my desk before I left.
• It was several hours before the road was cleared after the accident.
•It's your turn to clear the table (= to take away the dirty plates, etc. after a meal).
•She cleared a space on the sofa for him to sit down.
•~ A (of B) I cleared my desk of papers.
•The streets had been cleared of snow.
•~ B (from/off A) Clear all those papers off the desk.
•The remains of the snow had been cleared from the streets.
see also ↑clear away
2. transitive ~ sth to make people leave a place
• After the bomb warning, police cleared the streets.
NOT BE BLOCKED
3. intransitive to move freely again; to no longer be blocked
• The traffic took a long time to clear after the accident.
• The boy's lungs cleared and he began to breathe more easily.
OF LIQUID
4. intransitive when a liquid clears, it becomes transparent and you can see through it
• The muddy water slowly cleared.
OF SMOKE, ETC.
5. intransitive ~ (away) when smoke, ↑fog, etc. clears, it disappears so that it is easier to see things
• The mist will clear by mid-morning.
• As the dust cleared, we saw that the whole ceiling had come down.
OF SKY/WEATHER
6. intransitive when the sky or the weather clears, it becomes brighter and free of cloud or rain
•The sky cleared after the storm.
•The rain is clearing slowly.
YOUR HEAD/MIND
7. intransitive, transitive if your head or mind clears, or you clear it, you become free of thoughts that worry or confuse you or the effects of alcohol, a blow, etc. and you are able to think clearly
•As her mind cleared, she remembered what had happened.
•~ sth I went for a walk to clear my head.
OF FACE/EXPRESSION
8. intransitive if your face or expression clears, you stop looking angry or worried
PROVE SB INNOCENT
9. transitive ~ sb (of sth) to prove that sb is innocent
•She was cleared of all charges against her.
•Throughout his years in prison, he fought to clear his name.
GIVE OFFICIAL PERMISSION
10. transitive to give or get official approval for sth to be done
•~ sth His appointment had been cleared by the board.
•~ sth with sb/sth I'll have to clear it with the manager.
11. transitive ~ sth to give official permission for a person, a ship, a plane or goods to leave or enter a place
•The plane had been cleared for take-off.
•to clear goods through customs
12. transitive ~ sb to decide officially, after finding out information about sb, that they can be given special work or allowed to see secret papers
•She hasn't been cleared by security.
MONEY
13. intransitive, transitive ~ (sth) if a cheque that you pay into your bank account clears, or a bank clears it, the money is available for you to use
•Cheques usually take three working days to clear.
14. transitive ~ sth to gain or earn a sum of money as profit
•She cleared £1 000 on the deal.
15. transitive ~ sth if you clear a debt or a loan, you pay all the money back
GET OVER/PAST
16. transitive ~ sth to jump over or get past sth without touching it
•The horse cleared the fence easily.
•The car only just cleared (= avoided hitting) the gatepost.
IN SPORT
17. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) (in football ( ↑soccer ) and some other sports)if you clear a ball, or a ball clears, it is kicked or hit away from the area near your own goal
more at the coast is clear at ↑coast n., blow/clear the cobwebs away at ↑cobweb
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French cler, from Latin clarus.
Thesaurus:
clear verb
1. T
•You should be able to clear the building within three minutes.
evacuate •
clear/evacuate a place/building
police clear/evacuate a place
2. I
•As the smoke cleared, a plane came into view.
disappear • • vanish • • fade • • dissolve •
cloud/smoke/mist clears/disappears
clear/disappear/fade/dissolve gradually
Word Family:
clear adjective (≠ unclear)
clearly adverb
clarity noun
clarify verb
Example Bank:
•Can you clear away all your toys now?
•Clear those papers off the desk.
•Correct breathing helps to clear the mind and reduce tension.
•Four men accused of assault have been cleared of all charges.
•His face suddenly cleared as understanding dawned.
•I want you to clear all this mess up.
•I went for a walk to try to clear my head.
•She hastily cleared a space for him to sit down.
•The site must be completely cleared and made safe for children.
•The three defendants were formally cleared by the judge.
•They cleared the mud from the steps.
•We cleared the path of leaves.
•After spending more than ten years on death row, the two men were finally cleared of a crime they did not commit.
•As the smoke cleared, two fighter planes came into view.
•At the next station the train was cleared and the body was removed.
•He was acquitted/cleared of murder.
•I cleared my desk of papers and got down to work.
•I'll have to clear it with the manager before I can refund your money.
•In case of emergency, you should be able to clear the building within three minutes.
•It's time your toys were cleared away.
•It's your turn to clear the table.
•Police were still clearing the streets when the bomb went off.
•She hasn't been cleared by security.
•The clouds had not yet cleared.
•The goods had been cleared through customs.
•They sold $25 million in holdings in order to clear colossal bank debts.
•Throughout his years in prison, he fought to clear his name.
•We are economizing for a few months to try to clear our overdraft.
adverb
NOT NEAR/TOUCHING
1. ~ (of sth) away from sth; not near or touching sth
• Stand clear of the train doors.
• He injured his arm as he jumped clear of the car.
•By lap two Walker was two metres clear of the rest of the runners.
ALL THE WAY
2. (especially NAmE)all the way to sth that is far away
•She could see clear down the highway into the town.
more at see your way (clear) to doing sth/to do sth at ↑way n.
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French cler, from Latin clarus.
Word Family:
clear adjective (≠ unclear)
clearly adverb
clarity noun
clarify verb
noun
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French cler, from Latin clarus.
Word Family:
clear adjective (≠ unclear)
clearly adverb
clarity noun
clarify verb
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