clearing

American  

[kleer-ing] / ˈklɪər ɪŋ /

noun

clearings plural

1. the act of a person or thing that clears; the process of becoming clear.

2. a tract of land, as in a forest, that contains no trees or bushes.

3. the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences.

4. clearings, the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse.

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clearing British  

/ ˈklɪərɪŋ /

noun

1. an area with few or no trees or shrubs in wooded or overgrown land

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unclearing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clearings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of clearing

First recorded in 1350–1400, clearing is from the Middle English word clering. See clear, -ing ¹

Explanation

A clearing is an area that's open, with no trees, especially one in the middle of the woods or that's been cleared for planting. A clearing at the edge of the forest is a nice place to build a cabin. The noun clearing is a good way to describe an open place in the midst of dense growth, like a field or a glade in a forest. Some clearings are created deliberately for cultivating crops or building houses, while others come naturally from fires or droughts. This word first appeared in American English around 1818.

Example Sentences

Still, a full clearing of the backlog is likely to take longer, with hundred of vessels physically trapped in the Gulf and mine-sweeping operations expected to take some time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

Navy rear admiral told the BBC Radio4’s Today program that clearing the mines could take “weeks to months.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026

At one point the ball fell to Andy Robertson and instead of taking his time and clearing, he hoofed it away as if his life depended on it.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

The Antitrust Division approved the blockbuster deal without demanding a single change, capping an eight-month review and clearing the way for one of the largest media mergers in years.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

The trolls dragged my limp body farther into the trees until we reached a small clearing where there was a large fire and even more trolls sitting around it.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• clearance
• expanse