clarification
Americannoun
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the act or an instance of making an idea or statement clear.
You may use a pencil to circle words, passages, or phrases that you don't understand or that need clarification.
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the removal of solid matter from a liquid so that it is clear or translucent.
The clarification of butter involves first melting it and then getting rid of all milk solids, leaving behind pure saturated fat.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of clarification
First recorded in 1570–80, for an earlier sense; from Latin clārificātiōn-, stem of clārificātiō “a making clear,” from clārificāre “to make clear”; see clarify ( def. ), -fication ( def. )
Explanation
Clarification is what you hope to achieve when you make an idea or concept less confusing and easier to understand. This often happens after a detailed or very clear explanation. Loudspeaker announcements in bus terminals and train stations are always so muffled and difficult to understand that it would be nice if you could at least find someone afterward who could provide clarification. In the realm of science, clarification is also the act of removing solid particles from a liquid so that it is more pure and, in some cases, so that it is transparent.
Vocabulary lists containing clarification
The Poet X
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The Things They Carried
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Clarification would deter the next round of manipulation attempts and give regulators a workable tool before the problem scales.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Clarification of a short run in Law 18.5.1 and 18.5.2 means batters can abandon a run without penalty if they simply change their mind and it's only illegal if the short run is deliberately deceptive.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026
Clarification: Dave McIntyre's wine recommendations from Feb. 16 were accidentally published again this week.
From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2023
Clarification: This piece has been amended to clarify that the NHS PRB does not cover NHS doctors and dentists.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2023
Clarification and simplification in the tax laws as well as the regulations will be undertaken.
From State of the Union Address by Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
