clearheaded

adjective

clear·​head·​ed ˈklir-ˌhe-dəd How to pronounce clearheaded (audio)
1
: having or showing a clear understanding : perceptive
clearheaded comments
2
: able to think clearly
stay calm and clearheaded
clearheadedly adverb
clearheadedness noun

Examples of clearheaded in a Sentence

He remains calm and clearheaded in tense situations. waited until she was clearheaded to make the decision
Recent Examples on the Web Delta 8 has a lower psychotropic potency than delta-nine and produces more clearheaded effects. The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 June 2022 All of them were unequivocal in their belief that government intervention is needed because people living on the street are often too strung out and traumatized to make clearheaded decisions for themselves. BostonGlobe.com, 17 Oct. 2021 Nella’s struggle to form a sturdier, more clearheaded Black identity for herself is at the center of this unique thriller that has echoes of both Jordan Peele and, in the end, George Orwell. Washington Post, 3 June 2021 As protests over police brutality rocked the nation last summer, Ms. Wiley gained attention on MSNBC for her clearheaded explanations of why some activists wanted to defund the police. New York Times, 19 May 2021 Voters were more clearheaded, but those partisan saloons had been key institutions for working-class men. Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Apr. 2021 After a week of detoxing from social media, Llompart felt more productive and clearheaded. USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2021 Clattering and cluttered but clearheaded and deliberate, this brilliant, brutal, unprecedented work feels like a transcendent artist assembling a new form of music from scratch. Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2020 In the wistful second movement, Mr. Harrell balanced aching lyricism with clearheaded directness. BostonGlobe.com, 2 May 2020

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

Word History

First Known Use

1709, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clearheaded was in 1709

Dictionary Entries Near clearheaded

Cite this Entry

“Clearheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clearheaded. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

clearheaded

adjective
clear·​head·​ed -ˈhed-əd How to pronounce clearheaded (audio)
: able to think clearly
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