clear

Clear is an English word with several related senses. As an adjective, it describes something free of obstructions or impurities, such as clear water or a clear path. It can also mean easy to perceive or understand, as in clear instructions, clear evidence, or clear meaning. In reference to sight and media, clear implies transparency or absence of cloudiness, as in clear glass or clear air. In weather terms, a sky is described as clear when cloud cover is minimal.

As a verb, clear denotes the act of removing obstructions or contents, such as clearing a table, clearing a room, or clearing a debt. It can also mean to move away from a space, to clear a hurdle, or to make something safe or empty. In informal use, phrases like clear up or clear out indicate clarification or removal of confusion, or physical tidying. In computing, to clear data or a cache means to remove stored information.

Related forms include clarity, clarify, and clearance. The various senses share a common idea of removing ambiguity or obstruction and of making something unobstructed or understandable. Etymology traces to Old English and Proto-Germanic roots connected with brightness and freedom from obstruction, reflecting the link between seeing clearly and understanding clearly.