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
That clearance came from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, and marked a key step for Cerebras in its effort to go public.
—
Jordan Novet, CNBC, 15 May 2025
But Jansen Miller’s clearance inadvertently went straight to Pompeu at the top corner of the box, and his curling shot was unstoppable.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2025
Trump's executive order had revoked federal clearance for Perkins Coie employees and instructed federal agencies to cancel contracts with the company.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Sean Dyche’s rugged, resolute Burnley sides frequently recorded the highest share of forward passes in the Premier League over a season, but a large chunk of these were hoofed clearances.
Scepticism about such route-one football predates the current era.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clearance
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jordan Novet, CNBC, 15 May 2025
But Jansen Miller’s clearance inadvertently went straight to Pompeu at the top corner of the box, and his curling shot was unstoppable.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2025
Trump's executive order had revoked federal clearance for Perkins Coie employees and instructed federal agencies to cancel contracts with the company.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Sean Dyche’s rugged, resolute Burnley sides frequently recorded the highest share of forward passes in the Premier League over a season, but a large chunk of these were hoofed clearances.
Scepticism about such route-one football predates the current era.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 May 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 28 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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