Definition of clearance
1
: an act or process of clearing: such as
a
: the removal of buildings from an area (such as a city slum)
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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for clearance
The first known use of clearance was in 1540
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