clarification
Americannoun
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clarifications
plural
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Traders will be closely watching his speech at next week's annual meeting of central bankers, economists and finance chiefs in Jackson Hole, hoping for some clarification on monetary policy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Pryor points to behavioral traits including coachability, curiosity, reliability, comfort asking for clarification and the ability to repair a misstep.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
On June 23, he wrote to Late Stage’s operations email address asking for clarification, noting that the updated message raised urgent questions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
“We have a few guys that we are in the process of seeking some clarification and potentially getting some relief on that,” Riley said of the age restrictions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
It also called for punishment of the bus driver and insisted on clarification of the long-standing city bus rule—constantly ignored by drivers—that said no rider had to give up a seat unless another was available.
From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose
The governing body overseeing football in South America, Conmebol, said it had asked Fifa for "additional information and clarifications" regarding the "scope, structure, governance and possible effects" of the proposals.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
During the court case, the Met offered clarifications on how it would handle data from Freemason officers.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
As the backlash against Fanatics picked up steam, the Red Sox deleted its original statement from X and posted multiple clarifications.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
The Guinean embassy in Moscow, which oversees Belarus, told AFP it was following the case with "great humanitarian concern" and said it had demanded "clarifications".
From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026
The headmistress is confused, but after a few questions and clarifications she brings him three children: two boys and one girl.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
