clearance

noun

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clear·ance | \ ˈklir-ən(t)s

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)

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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing clearance Learn More About 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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web Choosing the latter adds a Snow setting to the available drive modes and raises the ground clearance from 6.9 to 8.2 inches. — Greg Fink, Car and Driver, 25 Apr. 2022 According to a blog post from Google, Fitbit received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), paving the way for the feature to be deployed to Fitbit wearables in the near future. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 11 Apr. 2022 That section had required places like Texas and other states with a history of voter discrimination to receive prior clearance from the Justice Department or a federal judge for its voting maps. — Jessica Schneider, Ethan Cohen And Tierney Sneed, CNN, 24 Mar. 2022 In fact, that just indicates that the production company received official legal clearance from the brand. — Dianna Mazzone, Allure, 24 Feb. 2022 The Bulls received clearance from the league shortly before tipoff at the United Center, allowing Dosunmu to play. — Julia Poe, chicagotribune.com, 12 Feb. 2022 Discovery and WarnerMedia win clearance from the Justice Department for a merger. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2022 In the Phoenix area, Dignity Health, a major hospital operator, sent a memo to staff members saying those infected who feel well enough to work may request clearance from their managers to go back to caring for patients. — Compiled Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 11 Jan. 2022 In the Phoenix area, Dignity Health, a major hospital operator, sent a memo to staff members saying those infected with the virus who feel well enough to work may request clearance from their managers to go back to caring for patients. — Jennifer Mcdermott, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clearance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near clearance

clear-air turbulence

clearance

clearance fit

Statistics for clearance

Last Updated

12 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Clearance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clearance. Accessed 24 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for clearance

clearance

noun

clear·ance | \ ˈklir-əns

Kids Definition of clearance

1 : the act or process of removing something

2 : the distance by which one object avoids hitting or touching another

3 : official permission The plane has clearance to land.

clearance

noun

clear·ance | \ ˈklir-ən(t)s

Medical Definition of clearance

: 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