What does "clare" mean?
Synonym of Poor Clare: a nun of the Order of Saint Clare.
Clare
/klɛə/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of Poor Clare: a nun of the Order of Saint Clare.
- Grammar: clare is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: claire, family name, first name, forename.
- Useful contrasts: family name, forename, given name.
- Usage evidence: In London, columnist Clare Foges worries that “we are too selfish to stop coronavirus spreading.” She wrote her biggest concern is not about the resilience of the country’s health service or the time it might take for researchers to develop a vaccine, but about the public’s willingness to respond to the challenge.
How to use "clare"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "clare" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "clare" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "clare" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "clare" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "clare" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "claire" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "clare", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Synonym of Poor Clare: a nun of the Order of Saint Clare.
"The chief house of the Clares in England stood near Aldgate; it was built by Blanche, queen of Navarre, and her husband Edmund, earl of Lancaster, Leicester and Darby, son to Henry III. and brother to Edward I. These nuns were Urbanists, and enjoyed revenues. They were called Clares or Minoresses, and their house the Minories..."
Proper Noun
- 1 A county of Ireland.
- 2 A female given name from Latin, more often spelled Claire from the 20th century onward.
"Yes, truly: I speak not as desiring more, But rather wishing a more strict restraint Upon the sisterhood, the votarists of Saint Clare."
- 3 A surname from Old English derived from Old English clǣġ (“clay”) as an occupational name for a worker in clay.
- 4 A town in County Cavan, Ireland.
- 5 A small town and civil parish with a town council in West Suffolk district, Suffolk, England, previously in St Edmundsbury district (OS grid ref TL7745).
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 A male given name transferred from the surname, of quite uncommon usage.
- 7 A district municipality in Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada, named after County Clare.
- 8 A hamlet in Pyrton parish, South Oxfordshire district, Oxfordshire, England (OS grid ref SU6798).
- 9 A number of places in the United States, likely to be named after County Clare:; An unincorporated community in DeKalb County, Illinois.
- 10 Ellipsis of Clare College, Cambridge. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal
- 11 A number of places in the United States, likely to be named after County Clare:; An unincorporated community in White River Township, Hamilton County, Indiana.
- 12 A number of places in the United States, likely to be named after County Clare:; A minor city in Webster County, Iowa; after County Clare.
- 13 A number of places in the United States, likely to be named after County Clare:; An unincorporated community in Johnson County, Kansas.
- 14 A number of places in the United States, likely to be named after County Clare:; A city mostly in Clare County, Michigan; after its county and County Clare.
- 15 A number of places in the United States, likely to be named after County Clare:; A town in St. Lawrence County, New York.
- 16 A town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa.
- 17 A locality in the Balranald council area, south-western New South Wales, Australia.
- 18 A town in Clare and Gilbert Valleys council area, Mid North region, South Australia.
- 19 A unisex given name.
"Life on Martha’s Vineyard has been mostly ideal for 11-year-old Mary Elizabeth Lambert, the protagonist of Ann Clare LeZotte’s historical novel SHOW ME A SIGN (Scholastic, 288 pp., $18.99; ages 8 to 12)."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"In London, columnist Clare Foges worries that “we are too selfish to stop coronavirus spreading.” She wrote her biggest concern is not about the resilience of the country’s health service or the time it might take for researchers to develop a vaccine, but about the public’s willingness to respond to the challenge."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "clare"?
Common synonyms include: claire, family name, first name, forename, geographic unit, given name.
How do you use "clare" in a sentence?
In London, columnist Clare Foges worries that “we are too selfish to stop coronavirus spreading.” She wrote her biggest concern is not about the resilience of the country’s health service or the time it might take for researchers to develop a vaccine, but about the public’s willingness to respond to the challenge.
How do you pronounce "clare"?
Pronounced /klɛə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The anglicized spelling of Irish Clár, from Old Irish clár (“plank, board”), from Proto-Celtic *klāros, *klārom (“table”).
Etymology 2
Medieval English vernacular form of Clara, from the Latin clara, feminine of clarus (“bright, shining, clear”), a post-classical name made famous by the 13th century Saint Clara of Assisi. In Oxfordshire, from Clarora, a clay slope.