clear and present danger
/ˌklɪər ən ˌpreznt ˈdeɪndʒə(r)/
/ˌklɪr ən ˌpreznt ˈdeɪndʒər/
- the expression used by the US Supreme Court to indicate a situation in which complete freedom of speech is not a person's legal right. No one has a right to say something that would cause a clear (= obvious) and present (= immediate) danger to other people. As an example, the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment does not allow a person to shout 'Fire' in a crowded theatre.