clearance

American  

[kleer-uhns] / ˈklɪər əns /

noun

• clearances
  plural

1. the act of clearing.

2. the distance between two objects; an amount of clear space.

   The bridge allowed a clearance of 37 feet at mean high water.

3. a formal authorization permitting access to classified information, documents, etc.

4. Also called clearance sale. the disposal of merchandise at reduced prices to make room for new goods.

   He bought the coat for half price at a clearance.

5. a clear space; a clearing.

   The house stood in a clearance among the trees.

6. Banking. an exchange of checks and other commercial paper drawn on members of a clearinghouse, usually effected at a daily meeting of the members.

7. Machinery. a space between two moving parts, left to avoid clashing or to permit relatively free motion.

8. the angle between a face of a cutting tool, as a lathe tool, and the work.

9. Nautical.

   1. the clearing of a ship at a port.

   2. Also called clearance papers. the official papers certifying this.

10. Medicine/Medical. a test of the excretory function of the kidneys based on the volume of blood that is cleared of a specific substance per minute by renal excretion.

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clearance British  

/ ˈklɪərəns /

noun

1. 1. the process or an instance of clearing

      slum clearance

   2. ( as modifier )

      a clearance order

2. space between two parts in motion or in relative motion

3. permission for an aircraft, ship, passengers, etc, to proceed

4. official permission to have access to secret information, projects, areas, etc

5. banking the exchange of commercial documents drawn on the members of a clearing house

6. 1. the disposal of merchandise at reduced prices

   2. ( as modifier )

      a clearance sale

7. sport

   1. the act of hitting or kicking a ball out of the defensive area, as in football

   2. an instance of this

8. the act of clearing an area of land of its inhabitants by mass eviction See Highland Clearances

9. dentistry the extraction of all of a person's teeth

10. a less common word for clearing

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonclearance
  noun
• preclearance
  noun
• self-clearance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clearances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of clearance

First recorded in 1555–65; clear + -ance

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clearance clearances

But they have come under increasing pressure from decades of deliberate land clearance for agriculture and logging, as well as climate change, which scientists warn can create conditions for wildfires.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

The researchers found that PD-L2 may play an important role in this process by helping aging cells avoid immune clearance.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Olsen said the security clearance issue wasn’t a factor in his departure but declined to elaborate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

The clearance of a notorious illegal waste "supersite" in Kent has been completed after 15 months at a cost of £15m to the taxpayer.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Oppenheimer couldn’t work on the Manhattan Project until he got security clearance from the army.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

A couple of nervy clearances early on but went on to make an important save to deny Harvey Barnes.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

She specialises in hoarder clearances, crime scene work and other extreme clean-up projects.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

“We have satisfied all closing conditions under our merger agreement, having received regulatory clearances from 68 jurisdictions,” Paramount said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

American said both regional jets’ crews followed controller clearances and that the flights landed safely.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

It was taking months to process applications and security clearances.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

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Related Words

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• authorization
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