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
Synonyms
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
The clearance could pave the way for brain injury testing in non-healthcare settings, like on the sidelines of sporting events.
—
Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2024
Problems with access, due to ongoing fighting but also heavy bureaucracy around the clearance of aid convoys, are also exacerbating a hunger crisis.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024
The group also had to have empty cages sent to the airport in advance for clearance.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 15 Apr. 2024
All bridges in the analysis were over navigable waterways, had more than 30 feet of vertical clearance below the roadway and saw average daily vehicle traffic of 10,000 or more.
—Mike Baker, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Thirty-one crashes have been southbound, where the bridge clearance is 11 feet 6 inches.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
The agency’s clearance of AvertD, however, went against the advice of its own independent advisory committee, which overwhelmingly voted against approval in 2022 because of concerns that the test may fail to identify people at risk for opioid use disorder, potentially leading to overprescribing.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Clark also would be given clearance to play in the WNBA.
—Jill Martin, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Brandon Gorski, a junior at Mater Dei, likely will need his county-leading clearance of 6-feet-8 in the high jump to get a medal in the event at Arcadia.
—Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 8 Apr. 2024
Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2024
Problems with access, due to ongoing fighting but also heavy bureaucracy around the clearance of aid convoys, are also exacerbating a hunger crisis.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024
The group also had to have empty cages sent to the airport in advance for clearance.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 15 Apr. 2024
All bridges in the analysis were over navigable waterways, had more than 30 feet of vertical clearance below the roadway and saw average daily vehicle traffic of 10,000 or more.
—Mike Baker, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Thirty-one crashes have been southbound, where the bridge clearance is 11 feet 6 inches.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
The agency’s clearance of AvertD, however, went against the advice of its own independent advisory committee, which overwhelmingly voted against approval in 2022 because of concerns that the test may fail to identify people at risk for opioid use disorder, potentially leading to overprescribing.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Clark also would be given clearance to play in the WNBA.
—Jill Martin, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Brandon Gorski, a junior at Mater Dei, likely will need his county-leading clearance of 6-feet-8 in the high jump to get a medal in the event at Arcadia.
—Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clearance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near clearance
Cite this Entry
“Clearance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clearance. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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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