1. To make meaning or understanding clearer.
2. To remove suspended particles or impurities from a liquid to make it clearer.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- clarify a distinction
- clarify a requirement
On the page
The revision clarified the distinction through contrasting examples.
The notice clarified the requirement without changing it.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- clarify
- Past tense
- clarified
- Past participle
- clarified
- Present participle
- clarifying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- clarify
- Present continuous
- am/is/are clarifying
- Present perfect
- have/has clarified
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been clarifying
- Past
- clarified
- Past continuous
- was/were clarifying
- Past perfect
- had clarified
- Past perfect continuous
- had been clarifying
- Future
- will clarify
- Future continuous
- will be clarifying
- Future perfect
- will have clarified
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been clarifying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: clarify; clarifies; clarified; clarified; clarifying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: renewed assessment, explicit formulation, classification and framing. Disciplines: academic writing, formal analysis. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: clarifies.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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