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clearance

noun
clear·​ance | \ ˈklir-ən(t)s How to pronounce clearance (audio) \

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 Learn More about clearance

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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
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Only half resulted in arrests or another type of clearance, the CBI report said. — Saja Hindi, The Denver Post, "Hate crime reports on the rise in Colorado, annual report shows," 8 Aug. 2019 Right, shop Nordstrom clearance and get huge savings 50% off the Halogen Modal V-Neck Tee. — Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know About Black Friday 2019," 5 Aug. 2019 Target: Take up to 25 percent off items, up to 30 percent off patio sale and clearance, and for select home items, take $10 off $30 and $40 off $100 with code COLLEGE. — Jenny Xie, Curbed, "All the best sales to shop this weekend," 2 Aug. 2019 An Air Force official said no evidence was produced that was sufficient to warrant the revocation of Hyten’s security clearance or temporary removal from his position. — Paul Sonne, Washington Post, "Sexual assault allegations complicate confirmation of Trump’s nominee for military’s No. 2 officer," 10 July 2019 Guardado’s clearance and the subsequent shift in momentum wouldn’t have felt so earth-shattering if the USA had a multi-goal lead. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "Mexico Turns Tide, Wins Gold Cup Title Again vs. Wasteful USMNT," 7 July 2019 Those with high-clearance vehicles may opt to drive the narrow, bumpy road 1.4 miles to the lake. — Mare Czinar, azcentral, "Fun summer hikes in Arizona: These hidden little lakes attract wildlife, hikers and anglers," 5 July 2019 Just getting to the overlook is a challenge; the road is unpaved and studded with rocks that require a high-clearance vehicle to drive. — Joe Yogerst, National Geographic, "Everything to know about Grand Canyon National Park," 15 Mar. 2019 McRaven isn’t the only former official coming off the sidelines to slam the president’s decision to revoke Brennan’s security clearance. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Leader of bin Laden raid tells Trump: revoke my clearance, too," 17 Aug. 2018

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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First Known Use of clearance

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for clearance

clearance

noun
How to pronounce clearance (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of clearance

: an official decision saying that someone has permission to do something
: official permission for an aircraft, pilot, etc., to do something
: the amount of space between two things

See the full definition for clearance in the English Language Learners Dictionary

clearance

noun
clear·​ance | \ ˈklir-əns How to pronounce clearance (audio) \

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 How to pronounce clearance (audio) \

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

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