clarify
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make (an idea, statement, etc.) clear or intelligible; to free from ambiguity.
- Synonyms:
- resolve, elucidate, illuminate, explain
-
to remove solid matter from (a liquid); to make into a clear or pellucid liquid.
-
to free (the mind, intelligence, etc.) from confusion; revive.
The short nap clarified his thoughts.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to make or become clear or easy to understand
-
to make or become free of impurities
-
to make (fat, butter, etc) clear by heating, etc, or (of fat, etc) to become clear as a result of such a process
Other Word Forms
- clarification noun
- clarifier noun
- nonclarified adjective
- unclarified adjective
- unclarifying adjective
Etymology
Origin of clarify
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French clarifier, from Late Latin clārificāre, equivalent to Latin clār(us) “clear” + -ificāre -ify
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.
She’s repeatedly keen to clarify that she’s nothing like M even as she defends her, as if she’s slowly realizing just how unhinged the character comes off in the series.
From Los Angeles Times
These findings help clarify how immune health may influence the aging process.
From Science Daily
The identities of those on board the vessel or what it was doing in the area are unclear, with the Cuban government saying an investigation has been launched to "clarify" the event.
From BBC
Cuba’s Interior Ministry said authorities would investigate the incident “to fully clarify the events.”
These findings clarify how the two overlapping pitches, or biphonation, are physically produced.
From Science Daily
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.
