clear
adjective OPAL WOPAL S
/klɪə(r)/
/klɪr/
(comparative clearer, superlative clearest)
Word Family
Idioms - clear adjective (≠ unclear)
- clearly adverb
- clarity noun
- clarify verb
- easy to understand and not confusing
- 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?
- clear about something She was quite clear about her reasons for leaving.
- 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.
Extra Examples- I hope I made it clear to him that he's not welcome here.
- Our policy on pensions is perfectly clear.
- She has a clear, simple writing style.
- Your meaning needs to be crystal clear.
- This is a clear and concise practical guide.
- a clear and unambiguous statement
- The plan is very clear and simple.
- We have clear and consistent expectations for our students.
- The figures will give a clearer picture of the financial benefits.
- They made it absolutely clear that I was expected to help.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- to
- clear and concise
- 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
- He left no clear indication of his wishes.
- We must send a clear message to young people that cyberbullying will not be tolerated.
- There is clear evidence that he was involved with the gang.
- They made their intentions abundantly clear.
- it is clear to somebody (that)… It was quite clear to me that she was lying.
- It is clear from the graph that sales have dropped sharply.
- clear what, how, whether, etc… It is not clear what they want us to do.
- How he got there was not clear.
Synonyms clearclear- obvious
- apparent
- evident
- plain
- 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.
- These words all have almost exactly the same meaning. There are slight differences in register and patterns of use. If you make something clear/plain, you do so deliberately because you want people to understand something; if you make something obvious, you usually do it without meaning to:
- I hope I make myself obvious.
- Try not to make it so clear/plain.
- an evident case of something
- clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain to somebody/something
- clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain that/what/who/how/where/why…
- to seem/become/make something clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain
- perfectly/quite/very clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain
Language Bank evidenceevidenceGiving 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 Bank impersonalimpersonalGiving 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…)
Extra Examples- It was clear to us there was a problem.
- It wasn't entirely clear whether she wanted us to help.
- There is a clear and present danger to national security.
- to give a clear sign that we value all students
- We need to make a clear distinction between private and public rooms.
- The film is a clear example of Hitchcock's cleverness.
- One clear winner stood out.
- One thing is clear—she was not telling the truth.
- The message of the play is clear. Love is pain.
- It was immediately clear that she had been crying.
- It was pretty clear that they didn't want me there.
- It is becoming increasingly clear that consumers are interested in animal welfare.
- It seems clear that her separation from the children caused her great distress.
- You have to make your intentions crystal clear to them.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- to
- clear and concise
- not confused; having no doubt
- clear about something Are you clear about the arrangements for tomorrow?
- clear on something My memory is not clear on that point.
- clear what, how, whether, etc… I'm still not clear what the job involves.
- We need a clear understanding of the problems involved.
Synonyms suresure- confident
- convinced
- certain
- positive
- clear
- sure [not before noun] without any doubt that you are right, that something is true, that you will get something or that something 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.
- confident completely sure that something 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.
- convinced [not before noun] completely sure that something is true or right, especially because the evidence seems to prove it or somebody 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 something is true:
- Are you absolutely certain about this?
- positive [not before noun] (rather informal) completely sure that something 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 something:
- My memory isn’t really clear on that point.
- sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear about something
- sure/confident/convinced/certain of something
- 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
Express Yourself Asking for clarificationAsking for clarificationWhen you are given some information or asked to do something, you may need to check that you have understood correctly. Here are some ways of asking people to clarify what they said:- I’m sorry, I didn’t quite understand.
- Would you mind explaining that again? I’m not sure that I’ve understood correctly.
- Sorry, I don't quite follow (you).
- Can I just check that I’ve got this right?
- I’m not quite/exactly clear about/really sure what I’m supposed to do.
- Sorry, could you repeat that? I didn’t hear what you said.
- Sorry, would you mind repeating what you just said?
- If I understand you correctly, you want me to phone the customer and apologise?
- Do you mean (to say) that the deal's off?
- What exactly are you saying?
- So you're saying that the meeting's cancelled?
- Sorry, did you mean that I should wait here or come back later?
- Can you just confirm your date of birth for me, please?
Extra Examples- I'm still not clear whether she wants to come or not.
- My memory isn't really clear on that point.
- Everyone must be clear about their responsibilities.
- She has a clear vision of the way things should go with the project.
- Nobody had a clear idea of what was to come next.
- We are very clear about what we want to accomplish.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- about
- on
- 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 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.
- The image was crisp and clear.
- The colours in her paintings are very clear and bright.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- loud and clear
- that you can see through; transparent
- The water was so clear we could see the bottom of the lake.
- clear glass
- a clear colourless liquid
- a sheet of clear cellophane
Extra Examples- The beach was perfect—white sand and clear blue water.
- The water comes out of the spring crystal clear and totally pure.
- Items must be carried in a clear plastic bag.
- The water was fairly clear.
- The chairs were made of clear plastic.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- become
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- without cloud or mist
- a clear blue sky
- On a clear day you can see France.
Extra ExamplesTopics Weathera2- It's likely to be a clear night, with temperatures dropping to freezing.
- The weather was bright and clear.
- a crisp, clear autumn morning
- On a clear day, you can see the mountains in the distance.
- clear night skies
- without spots or marks
- clear skin
- a clear complexion
- bright and lively
- Her clear blue eyes sparkled.
- clear (of something) free from things that are blocking the way or covering the surface of something
- 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.
Extra Examples- The roads are reasonably clear of snow.
- Make sure you keep all gutters and drainpipes clear of leaves.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- completely
- fairly
- pretty
- …
- of
- if you have a clear conscience or your conscience is clear, you do not feel guilty
- clear of something free from something that is unpleasant
- They were still not clear of all suspicion.
- We are finally clear of debt.
- [not before noun] clear (of somebody/something) not touching something; a distance away from something
- The plane climbed until it was clear of the clouds.
- Make sure you park your car clear of the entrance.
- [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.
- [only before noun] that remains when taxes, costs, etc. have been taken away synonym net
- They had made a clear profit of £2 000.
- (of a speech sound) produced with the central part of the tongue close to the top of the mouth. In many accents of (= ways of pronouncing) English, clear /l/ is used before a vowel, as in leave. opposite dark
easy to understand
without doubt
mind
easy to see/hear
easy to see through
sky/weather
skin
eyes
not blocked
conscience
free from something bad
not touching/near
period of time
sum of money
phonetics
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French cler, from Latin clarus.
Idioms
be clear/smooth sailing (North American English)
(British English be plain sailing)
- to be simple and free from trouble
(as) clear as day
- easy to see or understand
(as) clear as mud
- (informal, humorous) not clear at all; not easy to understand
- Oh well, that's all as clear as mud, then.
clear blue water (between A and B)
- a complete difference or division between two people or groups
- Voters want to see clear blue water between the main parties.
- They failed to put clear blue water between themselves and their competitors.
the coast is clear
- (informal) there is no danger of being seen or caught
- As soon as the coast was clear, he climbed in through the window.
keep your head | keep a clear/cool head
- to remain calm in a difficult situation
- She needed to keep a clear head if she was to remain in control.
leave the field clear for somebody
- to enable somebody to be successful in a particular area of activity because other people or groups have given up competing with them
- The complete disarray of the opposition parties leaves the field clear for the government to implement urgent reforms.
loud and clear
- in a way that is very easy to understand
- The message is coming through loud and clear.
see your way (clear) to doing something/to do something
- to find that it is possible or convenient to do something
- Small builders cannot see their way clear to take on many trainees.