What does "clearance" mean?
The act of clearing or something (such as a space) cleared.
Clearance
/ˈklɪəɹən(t)s/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of clearing or something (such as a space) cleared.
- Grammar: clearance is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: absolution, acquitment, acquittal, acquittals.
- Useful contrasts: accumulation, ban, barrera.
- Usage evidence: Tom bought that pair of shoes at a clearance sale.
How to use "clearance"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "clearance" 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 "clearance" 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 "clearance" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "clearance" 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 "clearance" is acting as noun 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 "absolution" 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 "clearance", 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 The act of clearing or something (such as a space) cleared. countable, uncountable
- 2 permission to proceed wordnet
- 3 The distance between two moving objects, especially between parts of a machine countable, uncountable
- 4 the distance by which one thing clears another; the space between them wordnet
- 5 The height or width of a tunnel, bridge or other passage, or the distance between a vehicle and the walls or roof of such passage; a gap, headroom. countable, uncountable
"When the scheme is completed, the 99-year-old swing bridge over the canal will be dispensed with as the new bridge will have sufficient height to allow clearance for the passage of canal traffic."
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 vertical space available to allow easy passage under something wordnet
- 7 A permission for a vehicle to proceed, or for a person to travel. countable, uncountable
"The plane got clearance from air traffic control, and we were off."
- 8 A permission to have access to sensitive or secret documents or other information. countable, uncountable
"In a thread called “Calm Before the Storm”, and in subsequent posts, Q established his legend as a government insider with top security clearance who knew the truth about a secret struggle for power involving Donald Trump, the “deep state”, Robert Mueller, the Clintons, pedophile rings, and other stuff."
- 9 A permission to use something, usually intellectual property, that is legally, but not otherwise, protected. countable, uncountable
- 10 A sale of merchandise, especially at significantly reduced prices, usually in order to make room for new merchandise or updated versions of the same merchandise; sometimes as a closeout. countable, uncountable
- 11 The settlement of transactions involving securities or means of payment such as checks by means of a clearing house. countable, uncountable
- 12 The removal of harmful substances from the blood; renal clearance. countable, uncountable
- 13 The act of potting all the remaining balls on a table at one visit. countable, uncountable
- 14 The act of kicking a ball away from the goal one is defending. countable, uncountable
"Bolton were then just inches from taking the lead, but the dangerous-looking Taylor drilled just wide after picking up a loose ball following Jose Bosingwa's poor attempted clearance."
- 15 Removal of pieces from a rank, file or diagonal so that a bishop, rook or queen is free to move along it. countable, uncountable
- 16 Clear or net profit. countable, uncountable
"There can, I believe, be no doubt of this, that sugar can be made better and cheaper in large quantities than in small. But the clearance, sir; that is the question. How would this affect the clearance? The sugar manufacturer would want his profit."
- 17 The first disposal in a chain that leaves the area of a stoppage, or a disposal that leaves the area of a stoppage itself. countable, uncountable
- 18 The act of leaving the area of a stoppage. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Tom bought that pair of shoes at a clearance sale."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "clearance"?
Common synonyms include: absolution, acquitment, acquittal, acquittals, acquittance, aesthetic distance.
How do you use "clearance" in a sentence?
Tom bought that pair of shoes at a clearance sale.
How do you pronounce "clearance"?
Pronounced /ˈklɪəɹən(t)s/.
Etymology
From clear + -ance.