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
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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.
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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
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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:
Jadallah did not clarify whether the pilot or co-pilot survived, and officials declined to answer questions after brief statements were made.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
“The passage of Senate Bill 1159 is an important step to clarify the law and discourage the use of emerging technologies to falsify public records and mislead regulators in California,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
In a bid to win support from the U.S. and other Western countries, President Ahmed al-Sharaa pledged soon after taking power in late 2024 to cooperate with Grossi’s agency to clarify Syria’s past nuclear work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Their results clarify how silver nanocatalysts improve solid oxide cell performance and show that both the location and mechanism of oxygen reactions change depending on how the cell is being used.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
To clarify a remark someone made earlier, I confess that I am making up all the proper nouns.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Locke, 22, jokes that a lot of the time people are just handed producer credits, but clarifies "we actually put some effort in and took it seriously".
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Also, the bill clarifies that an animal control agency, with the consent of a prosecutor, can place an evidence animal with a foster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The bill, which clarifies the regulatory structure around digital assets, is making slow progress through Congress.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
“This legal document acts as a cohabitation property agreement and clarifies finances to avoid lawsuits over issues like California cohabitation law alimony,” the law firm adds.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
“But this is not, I suppose, a matter for the police. A civil, not a legal, matter,” she clarifies.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
The 2022 measure “did not repeal, relax, or extend the City’s three-term limit. Rather, it clarified that a full term may exceed four years when authorized by state law,” Leon’s lawyers wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
He clarified, however, that “forgiveness doesn’t require amnesia.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
But he quickly clarified, "we want to be excited - that's why we love this club. I'm fully aware that we need to do it in a certain way".
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Kant later clarified that he had not refused to hear the petition and only asked for it to be filed in a proper manner.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Who are these fish-horse—?” “Fish-horse guys,” Frank clarified, which wasn’t very clear.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
A spokeswoman for Cornyn was quoted by US media as saying he had reached an agreement with the Department of Justice over "permanently terminating" the anti-weaponization fund and clarifying the scope of the audit settlement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, external with Josh Horowitz, Holland hinted that a new chapter was on the horizon, albeit not clarifying when.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
I would enshrine gender equality in the Constitution, explicitly clarifying that the Equal Rights Amendment is part of our founding document.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
In that respect, Hemani may prove to be the most clarifying post-Bruen decision yet.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
She interrupts me a lot, sometimes asking me to repeat something I said, and sometimes it’s with another question aimed at clarifying how and why certain things happened.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
