security clearance
noun
: special permission given only to people who are approved to know or see secret things
The documents are only available to people with security clearance from the government.
Examples of security clearance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The deputy clerk pretended to hire an IT consultant, used the individual's name and Social Security number to pass a background check and acquire a security clearance and access badge, according to prosecutors.
—
Joey Garrison, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Campbell's legal troubles could hamper his ability to get a security clearance in the future, his father said.
—Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 8 Dec. 2025
There's a lot on the line -- from funding for infrastructure projects, to setting parameters around immigration enforcement and, perhaps most importantly, Mamdani needs federal security clearance to be briefed on terror threats and other law enforcement activity.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
And rather than being designed in a Top Secret military facility—literally, Area 51, used for the U-2—at the expense of billions of taxpayer dollars, Planet’s doing it with around six hundred employees and hardly a security clearance in sight.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for security clearance
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joey Garrison, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Campbell's legal troubles could hamper his ability to get a security clearance in the future, his father said.
—Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 8 Dec. 2025
There's a lot on the line -- from funding for infrastructure projects, to setting parameters around immigration enforcement and, perhaps most importantly, Mamdani needs federal security clearance to be briefed on terror threats and other law enforcement activity.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
And rather than being designed in a Top Secret military facility—literally, Area 51, used for the U-2—at the expense of billions of taxpayer dollars, Planet’s doing it with around six hundred employees and hardly a security clearance in sight.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for security clearance
Cite this Entry
“Security clearance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/security%20clearance. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share