clear – English adjective declension

Adjective: clear

Comparison Forms

Synthetic

Comparative	clearer
Superlative	clearest

Perifrastic

Sample Sentences

as clear as crystal
The windshield was clear and clean.
Congress passed the President’s Clear Skies legislation.
The driver had mistakenly thought the intersection was clear.
the coast is clear
Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path[…]. It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights. 'Twas the house I'd seen the roof of from the beach. [1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:]
"[…] On the 18th of October, 1841, a very intense magnetic disturbance was recorded, and amongst other curious facts mentioned is that of the detention of the 10:05pm express train at Exeter for 16 minutes, as from the magnetic disturbance affecting the needles so powerfully, it was impossible to ascertain if the line was clear at Starcross. The superintendent at Exeter reported the next morning that someone was playing tricks with the instruments, and would not let them work." [2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 30:]
clear weather; a clear day
Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. The clear light of the bright autumn morning had no terrors for youth and health like hers. [1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:]
He gave clear instructions not to bother him at work.
She made it clear that she dislike me.
I'm still not quite clear on what some of these words mean.
From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much.[…] But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka’s capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India’s southern tip. [2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:]
In several months you’re likely to have a clearer picture on how your state intends to treat your forgiven PPP loan and the deductibility of your business expenses not just for tax year 2020 but also tax year 2021. [2021 February 23, Jeanne Sahadi, “So you got a PPP loan? Here’s what that means for your state taxes”, in CNN Business:]
NR Chairman Sir Peter Hendy had made it clear that he didn't want anything that smacked of the bus shelters seen at many small, usually unstaffed stations. [2021 June 30, Anthony Lambert, “A railway station fit for the 21st century”, in RAIL, number 934, page 42:]
But Trump laid out his clearest message yet on tariffs during an address to House Republicans on Monday, spelling out what imports his administration plan to tax first. [2025 January 28, David Goldman and Elisabeth Buchwald, “Trump just gave his clearest picture yet of what new tariffs could look like”, in CNN Business:]
a clear conscience
Statesman, yet friend to truth! in soul sincere,
In action faithful, and in honour clear [1754, Alexander Pope, “Verses occasioned by Mr. Addison's treatise of medals”, in Joseph Addison, Dialogues Upon the Usefulness of Ancient Medals, page 5:]
clear of texture; clear of odor
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair. She said that you gave it to her that night that you planned to go clear. Did you ever go clear? [1971, Leonard Cohen, Famous Blue Raincoat:]
a clear intellect; a clear head
Mother of Science, Now I feel thy Power
Within me cleere, not onely to diſcerne
Things in thir Cauſes, but to trace the wayes
Of higheſt Agents [1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:]
with a countenance as clear / As friendship wears at feasts [c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:]
Hark! the numbers, soft and clear
Gently steal upon the ear [c. 1708, Alexander Pope, Ode On St. Cecilia's Day:]
clear sand
a clear complexion; clear lumber
high school girls with clear-skinned smiles [1975, Janis Ian, “At Seventeen”:]
a clear profit
I often wished that I had clear
For life, six hundred pounds a year [1728, Jonathan Swift, Horace, Lib. 2, Sat. 6:]
The signals were clear to allow the train through Soham, as it steadily approached. [2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:]
Nando's is clear.
Spurs are clear of Arsenal.

Adjectives inflected like clear

sallow, smooth, slight, sleigh, sordid, somber, shweet, shrill, shrewd, yellow, yaller, hard knock, DRY, Greek, cut short, unquiet, unclean, indiscreet, chipper, straicht, etc. (List truncated at 20 adjectives)

Etymology

From Middle English clere, from Anglo-Norman cler, from Old French cler (Modern French clair), from Latin clarus. Displaced native Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr (“clear, bright”)), Middle English skere (“clear, sheer”) (from Old English scǣre and Old Norse skǣr (“sheer, clear, pure”)), Middle English smolt (“clear (of mind), serene”) (from Old English smolt (“peaceful, serene”)). Cognate with Danish, German, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish klar, Dutch klaar, French clair, Italian chiaro, Portuguese claro, Romanian clar, Spanish claro. See: French Adjectives 'clair', Latin Adjectives 'clarus', Dutch Adjectives 'klaar', French Adjectives 'clair', Italian Adjectives 'chiaro', Portuguese Adjectives 'claro', Romanian Adjectives 'clar', Spanish Adjectives 'claro'.