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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

 Cummings’ committee has broad jurisdiction and is investigating a litany of issues including the administration’s handling of the crisis at the southern border and security clearances, as well as questions surrounding Trump’s business interests. — Ben Kamisar, NBC News, "First Read Sunday: Rick Scott responds to Trump feud with Cummings," 29 July 2019 This versatile, three-season tent has a simple setup with no rain fly, a shockingly high head clearance of 78 inches, and a removable front vestibule for protecting your bags and shoes. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "Need Outdoors Gear? 13 Deals From the REI 4th of July Sale," 3 July 2019 Sauerbrunn gave a ball away on a poor clearance, then so did Dunn. — Jeré Longman, New York Times, "How Megan Rapinoe and the U.S. Beat France at the World Cup," 28 June 2019 Voting Rights: Congress could nullify Shelby County v. Holder by revising the Voting Rights Act pre-clearance authority. — Gregory Koger, Vox, "How a Democratic Congress can push back against the Supreme Court," 12 Nov. 2018 Despite getting environmental clearance, the company had lost the cooperation from government officials, Gulabchand said. — Anto Antony, Bloomberg.com, "Billionaire’s Folly Becomes Bankers’ Nightmare," 18 June 2018 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

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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