clearance
noun
clear·ance
ˈklir-ən(t)s 
1
: an act or process of clearing: such as
a
: the removal of buildings from an area (such as a city slum)
b
: the act of clearing a ship at the customhouse
also
: the papers showing that a ship has cleared
c
: the offsetting of checks and other claims among banks through a clearinghouse
d
: certification as clear of objection : authorization
security clearance
e
: a sale to clear out stock
f
: authorization for an aircraft to proceed especially with a specified action
clearance to land
2
: the distance by which one object clears another or the clear space between them
3
: the volume of blood or plasma that can be freed of a specified constituent in a specified time by its excretion into the urine through the kidneys
a creatine clearance of 25 milliliters per minute
called also renal clearance
Examples of clearance in a Sentence
She has a security clearance that allows her to see the classified information.
The pilot got clearance to land.
That flight has not received clearance for landing.
There was only 10 inches of clearance between the car and the side of the tunnel.
a bridge with a 100-foot clearance above the water
the clearance of forests for farming
slum clearance to make room for new housing
Recent Examples on the Web
Richards hit a clearance against Bournemouth striker Evanilson in the third minute that went unpunished, Maxence Lacroix hacked at the ball multiple times, and Tyrick Mitchell fought a losing battle against Antoine Semenyo.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Sydney Billington was also fourth in the high jump invite with a career-best clearance of 6-0.
—Christina Long, Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2025
With this clearance, the Layer 7 Cortical Interface is now authorized for commercial use with implantation durations of up to 30 days.
—Kevin Williams, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2025
Before any modular upgrades, the Mod UTV has a base weight of 425 lb (193 kg), with a ground clearance of 18 in (457 mm).
—New Atlas, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clearance
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Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Sydney Billington was also fourth in the high jump invite with a career-best clearance of 6-0.
—Christina Long, Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2025
With this clearance, the Layer 7 Cortical Interface is now authorized for commercial use with implantation durations of up to 30 days.
—Kevin Williams, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2025
Before any modular upgrades, the Mod UTV has a base weight of 425 lb (193 kg), with a ground clearance of 18 in (457 mm).
—New Atlas, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clearance
Cite this Entry
“Clearance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clearance. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clearance
noun
clear·ance
ˈklir-ən(t)s
1
a
: an act or process of clearing
b
: the act of clearing a ship at the customhouse
c
: the papers showing that a ship has cleared
d
: authorization for an airplane to proceed
2
: a sale to clear out stock
3
: the distance by which one object keeps from hitting or touching another or the clear space between them
Medical Definition
clearance
noun
clear·ance
ˈklir-ən(t)s
: the volume of blood or plasma that could be freed of a specified constituent in a specified time (usually one minute) by excretion of the constituent into the urine through the kidneys
called also renal clearance
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