clarify
Americanverb (used with object)
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clarifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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clarified,
past participle, past
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clarifying
present participle
-
to make (an idea, statement, etc.) clear or intelligible; to free from ambiguity.
- Synonyms:
- resolve, elucidate, illuminate, explain
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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)
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clarifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
clarified,
past participle, past
-
clarifying
present participle
verb
-
to make or become clear or easy to understand
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to make or become free of impurities
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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
Derived Forms
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clarificationnoun
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clarifiernoun
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nonclarifiedadjective
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unclarifiedadjective
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unclarifyingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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clarifysimple
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clarifiessimple
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have clarifiedperfect
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has clarifiedperfect
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am clarifyingprogressive
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are clarifyingprogressive
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is clarifyingprogressive
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have been clarifyingperfect progressive
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has been clarifyingperfect progressive
Past
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clarifiedsimple
-
had clarifiedperfect
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was clarifyingprogressive
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were clarifyingprogressive
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had been clarifyingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
Clarify means to clear up confusion and make it all understandable. In a heart-breaking text, she clarified that she never ever wanted to see him again. It also means to remove impurities in a liquid; you clarify butter by gently heating it. Clarify and clear are related, of course, and clear means you can see right through it. If you clarify your intention or your meaning, others will understand it clearly. If you aren't clear at the outset, you might find the need to clarify what you want later.
Vocabulary lists containing clarify
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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:
Further research could help clarify the ecological pressures that favored some body sizes while effectively excluding others.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
She said information disseminated by local organizations and churches has helped to clarify things.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
I asked the Treasury Department to clarify, but it declined to comment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
She is quick to clarify what she means when she says English people do not know their own history.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
I didn't clarify that I meant something other than the East Coast of the United States.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
The proposed regulations unveiled this week “really clarifies a lot of what employers were waiting for,” said Dorian Smith, leader of Mercer’s law and policy practice.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
It’s not that the clothes were ever disappointing, she clarifies — it’s just that the anticipation was such a big part of the process.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The bill, which clarifies the regulatory structure around digital assets, is making slow progress through Congress.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
She clarifies that she means “annoying” men rather than abusive men.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
With no recognition, George clarifies, “We are who we are. Forget the morning and move on.”
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
Winfrey later clarified that Harry said neither his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II or his grandfather Prince Philip “were a part of those conversations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
An unnamed White House official later clarified that Trump was joking, the Wall Street Journal reported.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Arday clarified to the Guardian newspaper that the £5 million fundraising for charity was done by a group of people over two decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson has spoken publicly for the first time since Grand Slam Track went bankrupt, and has clarified details of payments to himself and competing athletes.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
“Nothing the imp saw or heard could be harmful,” Grandpa clarified.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
But the announcement stops short of clarifying how the funding will be split between council homes and those provided by housing associations.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
After the analysis, she was able to pick from care packages, each with a different purpose, such as slowing aging, hydrating the skin, clarifying it or brightening it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
On Monday, after a host of U.S. companies including Nvidia and Microsoft signed a letter showing their support for open models, Amodei published a letter clarifying his position on the heated debate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
In that respect, Hemani may prove to be the most clarifying post-Bruen decision yet.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
I failed to realize that intelligence tests effectively muck with both your past and your future, clarifying a lifetime of bad choices and setting you up for the inevitability of future failure.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
