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Definition of clear adjective from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

      

    clear

     adjective
    adjective
    NAmE//klɪr//
     
    (clearer, clearest)
     
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    without confusion/doubt
  1. 1easy 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 behavior 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. 2obvious 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 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. Language Bankevidencegiving proof
    • New evidence has been found that/Studies have shown 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.
    • Little evidence has been found 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 Bankimpersonalgiving 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… )
  3. 3having or feeling no doubt or confusion clear about/on something Are you clear about the arrangements for tomorrow? 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. Thesaurussure
    • confident
    • convinced
    • certain
    • positive
    • clear
    These words all describe someone who knows without doubt that something is true or will happen.
    • 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:I'm not sure whether John is coming or not. Are you sure about that? The Orioles are sure to win this weekend. 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 use know:I know (that) I left my bag here (= I have no doubt about it).
    • confident completely sure that something will happen in the way that you want or expect:I'm confident that you'll get the job. The team is confident that they will win. 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 something is true or right, especially because the evidence seems to prove it or someone 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?
    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] (somewhat 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:I'm still not clear what the job involves.
    Patterns
    • sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear about something
    • sure/confident/convinced/certain of something
    • sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear that…
    • not 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
    4. mind
  4. 4thinking 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.
    5. easy to see/hear
  5. 5easy 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.
    6. transparent
  6. 6that you can see through The water was so clear we could see the bottom of the lake. clear glass a clear, colorless liquid a sheet of clear cellophane
    7. sky/weather
  7. 7without cloud or mist a clear blue sky On a clear day you can see the Farallon Islands.
    8. skin
  8. 8without spots or marks clear skin a clear complexion
    9. eyes
  9. 9bright and lively
    10. not blocked
  10. 10clear (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.
    11. conscience
  11. 11if you have a clear conscience or your conscience is clear, you do not feel guilty
    12. free from something bad
  12. 12clear of something free from something that is unpleasant They were still not clear of all suspicion. We are finally clear of debt.
    13. not touching/near
  13. 13[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.
    14. period of time
  14. 14without any events or activities planned I need three clear weeks to work on this project.
    15. sum of money
  15. 15[only before noun] remaining when taxes, costs, etc. have been taken away synonym net They had made a clear profit of $2,000.
    16. phonetics
  16. 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. opposite dark
    17. Thesaurusclear
    • obvious
    • apparent
    • evident
    • plain
    These words all describe something that is easy to see or understand and leaves no doubts or confusion.
    • clear easy to see or understand and leaving no doubts:Her instructions were very clear.
    • obvious easy to see or understand:I don't understand how you missed such an obvious error.
    • apparent [not usually before noun] (somewhat formal) easy to see or understand:It soon became apparent that everything had gone wrong.
    • evident (somewhat 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 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.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 something but not:an evident case of something.Patterns
    • 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
     clear adjective (≠unclear)clearly adverbclarity nounclarify verbclear adjective (≠unclear)clearly adverbclarity nounclarify verb    Idioms
    be clear/smooth sailing
     
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    to be simple and free from trouble
    (as) clear as day
     
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    easy to see or understand
    (as) clear as mud (informal) (humorous)
     
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    not clear at all; not easy to understand Oh well, that's all as clear as mud, then.
    in the clear (informal)
     
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    no longer in danger or thought to be guilty of something It seems that the original suspect is in the clear.
    keep your head, keep a clear/cool head
     
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    to remain calm in a difficult situation
    leave the field clear for somebody, leave somebody in possession of the field
     
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    to enable someone 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 administration's opponents leaves the field clear for the president to implement urgent reforms.
    loud and clear
     
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    in a way that is very easy to understand The message is coming through loud and clear.
See clear in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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