Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: cler, from Latin clarus 'clear, bright'

clear

1 adjective
     
Related topics: Colours
clear1 S1 W1 comparative clearer, superlative clearest
1

easy to understand

expressed in a simple and direct way so that people understand [↪ clarity, clearly]:
clear instructions
The question wasn't very clear.
It's the clearest guide I've used.
clear about
The school is clear about its policy on bullying.
clear about what/when/how etc
Be very clear about what jobs should be completed, and by when.
clear on
The rules are quite clear on the point.
clear to
It was clear to him that Tolkien was a literary genius.
make something clear
The bishop made his views clear in a letter to the publisher.
How can you make the meaning clearer?
make it clear that
Make it clear that you will not take sides.
absolutely/abundantly clear
Can I make it absolutely clear that we did not intend this to happen?
Perhaps I tried to cover too much and didn't make myself clear (=express myself well).
If you don't understand, it's best to say so and get things clear.
If I catch you smoking again, you're grounded. Do I make myself clear (=used when you are angry)?
clear picture/idea (=a good understanding)
The report gave a clear picture of the property's condition.
He writes crystal clear (=very easy to understand) prose.
2

impossible to doubt

impossible to doubt, question, or make a mistake about [↪ clearly]:
clear evidence of guilt
They won by a clear majority.
it is clear whether/why/how etc
It's not clear whether he shares her views.
it is clear (that)
It's clear that the drug does benefit some patients.
When it became clear that I was pregnant, he left me.
clear case/example of something
a clear case of sexual discrimination
3

sure about something

feeling certain that you know or understand something [↪ clearly]
clear about/on
Are you all clear now about what you have to do?
clear whether/what/how etc
I'm still not really clear how this machine works.
Let me get this clear - you hadn't seen her in three days?
a clearer understanding of the issues
4

thinking

able to think sensibly and quickly [↪ clarity, clearly]:
She felt that her thinking was clearer now.
In the morning, with a clear head, she'd tackle the problem.
5

substance/liquid

CC easy to see through, rather than coloured or dirty [= transparent; ≠ cloudy, opaque]:
clear glass bottles
a crystal clear mountain lake
6

weather

clean and fresh, without clouds or mist:
a clear June morning
The skies were clear and blue.
7

eyes

healthy, very pure in colour, and without any redness:
clear blue eyes
8

skin

smooth and without any red spots:
a clear complexion
9

easy to see

having details, edges, lines etc that are easy to see, or shapes that are easy to recognize [↪ clarity]:
a TV with a clear picture and high-quality sound
10

easy to hear

easy to hear, and therefore easy to understand [↪ clarity, clearly]:
a clear speaking voice
The radio reception isn't very clear.
It's a good recording; the sound is as clear as a bell (=very clear).
11

after tax

a clear amount of profit, wages etc is what is left after taxes have been paid on it [= net]:
I get £200 a week clear.
Sam makes a clear $90,000 per year.
12

a clear conscience

the knowledge that you have done the right thing and should not feel guilty:
I don't think I could vote for him with a clear conscience.
She had done what she could and her conscience was clear.
13

period of time

without any planned activities or events:
Next Monday is clear; how about 10 o'clock?
Leave at least one clear day between the flight and any business meetings.
14

not busy

complete or whole:
Allow three clear days for delivery.
15

not blocked/covered

not covered or blocked by anything that stops you from doing or seeing what you want:
The roads were fairly clear this morning.
clear view/look
From the top floor you get a clear view of the bay.
clear of
To prevent fires, the sides of the roads are kept clear of underbrush.
16

see your way clear (to doing something)

informal to have the necessary time or willingness to be able to do something:
We expect good results soon, if the board can see its way clear to continuing funding the project.
17

be clear of something

to not be touching something, or to be past someone or something:
Wait to cross until the street is clear of cars.
The curtains should be a couple of inches clear of the floor.
18

as clear as mud

spoken used humorously to say that something is very difficult to understand
➔ all clear

; ➔ the coast is clear

at coast1 (2)
—clearness noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary