clarus

Clarus is a Latin adjective meaning clear, bright, or famous. In classical Latin it could describe physical brightness as well as notable prominence. The word has gendered forms: masculine clarus, feminine clara, neuter clarum; the comparative is clarior and the superlative clarissimus. The related noun claritas expresses clarity, brightness, or reputation.

In usage, clarus often modifies nouns to convey distinctness or eminence, and it is common in inscriptions and literature to indicate something well-known or illustrious. The sense “famous” is frequent when describing people, deeds, or places, while the sense of brightness or clearness can apply to objects or ideas that are easy to perceive or understand.

The root of clarus contributes to related Latin forms such as clarificare (to make clear) and claritas (clarity). In English, the Latin term itself is rarely used today, but its root appears in scholarly discussions of Latin vocabulary. English derivatives tied to the same root, such as clarity and clarify, ultimately trace back to the same Latin lineage, reflecting the broad semantic field of brightness, openness, and understandability that clarus helped to shape.