- 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. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, seem, become, … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionto phrasesclear and concise See full entry
- 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 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. Synonymsclearobvious apparent evident plainThese 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: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 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 Language BankevidenceGiving 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 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…) Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, seem, become, … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionto phrasesclear and concise See full entry
- 3 having 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. Synonymssureconfident convinced certain positive clearThese words all describe somebody 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:‘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 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. 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 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?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 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.Patterns 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 YourselfAsking 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? Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionabout, on See full entry 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. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, look, become, … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … phrasesloud and clear See full entry 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 Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, become adverbextremely, fairly, very, … See full entry sky/weather
- 7 without cloud or mist a clear blue sky On a clear day you can see France. See related entries: Sky skin
- 8without spots or marks clear skin a clear complexion eyes
- 9bright and lively not blocked
- 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. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, look, seem, … adverbcompletely, fairly, pretty, … prepositionof See full entry conscience
- 11if you have a clear conscience or your conscience is clear, you do not feel guilty free from something bad
- 12clear of something free from something that is unpleasant They were still not clear of all suspicion. We are finally clear of debt. not touching/near
- 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. 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 synonym 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. opposite dark Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French cler, from Latin clarus.Word Familyclear adjective (≠unclear)clearly adverbclarity nounclarify verbExtra examples 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 morningIdioms
without confusion/doubt
(US English) = be plain sailing
easy to see or understand
(informal, humorous) not clear at all; not easy to understand Oh well, that's all as clear as mud, then.
a complete difference or separation Voters want to see clear blue water between the main parties. They failed to put clear blue water between themselves and their competitors.
(informal) there is no danger of being seen or caught As soon as the coast was clear he climbed in through the window.
to remain calm in a difficult situation
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.
in a way that is very easy to understand The message is coming through loud and clear.
Check pronunciation: clear
