clarify

verb

clar·​i·​fy ˈkler-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce clarify (audio)
ˈkla-rə-
clarified; clarifying

transitive verb

1
: to make understandable
clarify a subject
The president was forced to clarify his position on the issue.
2
: to free of confusion
needs time to clarify his thoughts
3
: to make (a liquid or something liquefied) clear or pure usually by freeing from suspended matter
clarify syrup

intransitive verb

: to become clear
waiting for the present muddled diplomatic situation to clarifyNewsweek
clarification noun
clarifier noun

Examples of clarify in a Sentence

Can you clarify exactly what it is you're proposing? Her explanation did not clarify matters much. The president was forced to clarify his position on the issue. The committee clarified the manager's duties. a substance used to clarify wine
Recent Examples on the Web Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which filed a brief in support of neither party, urged the court to clarify the constitutional line between coercion and persuasion. Ann Marimow, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 The hearing was intended to clarify some aspects of the relationship between Fani Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, and her special prosecutor, Nathan Wade. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 One of them, Mitch Silverstein, thanked the city staff for working to clarify the language in an earlier version of the proposal. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 Washington — The Supreme Court on Friday clarified when a public official who blocks a constituent on social media may be sued for doing so. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024 Continue reading … ‘FELL OUT OF MY SEAT’ – GOP senator challenges Biden to clarify Hamas position after State of the Union remark. Fox News, 11 Mar. 2024 For example, local governments would be in charge of setting zoning and locations of the businesses, but minimum distance requirements need to be clarified. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 What both sides agreed on, however, was that this clarifies the race between two remaining candidates with distinct platforms and visions, neither of which is palatable to the other. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 The new bills from Tallahassee clarify that a PACE provider needs permission from counties to sign up customers within their boundaries. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clarify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English clarifien, from Anglo-French clarifier, from Late Latin clarificare, from Latin clarus clear — more at clear

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of clarify was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near clarify

Cite this Entry

“Clarify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clarify. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clarify

verb
clar·​i·​fy ˈklar-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce clarify (audio)
clarified; clarifying
1
: to make or become pure or clear
clarify a liquid
2
: to make or become easier to understand
clarify a statement
clarification noun
clarifier noun

Medical Definition

clarify

verb
clar·​i·​fy ˈklar-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce clarify (audio)
clarified; clarifying

transitive verb

: to make (as a liquid) clear or pure usually by freeing from suspended matter
clarify sewage

intransitive verb

: to become clear
clarification noun
clarifier noun

More from Merriam-Webster on clarify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!