clearinghouse

noun

clear·​ing·​house ˈklir-iŋ-ˌhau̇s 

1

: an establishment maintained by banks for settling mutual claims and accounts

2

: a central agency for the collection, classification, and distribution especially of information

broadly : an informal channel for distributing information or assistance

Examples of clearinghouse in a Sentence

an online clearinghouse for information on museums around the world

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s no good clearinghouse for data about injuries related to winter weather, but studies do suggest that fall rates increase with snow and ice, especially among older adults. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026

Osborne’s hope of turning London into a European clearinghouse for the yuan was dented by Britain’s vote in 2016 to leave the European Union. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026

The system is used to monitor capacity at shelters across the state, enabling 2-1-1 to act as a clearinghouse to assist in finding shelter space for those who need it. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2026

The clearinghouse typically releases preliminary findings around November and final numbers the following January. —Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clearinghouse

• boardinghouse
• charterhouse
• coffeehouse
• customhouse
• firehouse
• meetinghouse
• motherhouse
• packinghouse
• pilothouse
• powerhouse
• slaughterhouse
• summerhouse

Kids Definition

clearinghouse

noun

clear·​ing·​house -ˌhau̇s 

1

: an institution run by banks for the exchanging of checks and claims

2

: a central agency for collecting and giving out information

Legal Definition

clearinghouse

noun

clear·​ing·​house ˈklir-iŋ-ˌhau̇s 

: an institution that arranges for payment of checks owed by one bank to another