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

In fact, a new class-action lawsuit was filed in California against the NCAA, College Sports Commission and power conferences claiming the NIL clearinghouse violates state statutes and federal laws. —Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 June 2026

As of last month, according to Yahoo Sports, more than $125 million worth of NIL compensation that had been promised to athletes had been rejected by the clearinghouse or was still under review. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

Institutions still need clearinghouses, custodians, reporting systems, market surveillance, and legal accountability. —Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Massachusetts, for example, created a climate data clearinghouse to make research and data widely available. —David Boutt, The Conversation, 26 May 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