clarify

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
15
Words With Friends
16
Letters
7
Pronunciation
/ˈklæɹ.ɪ.faɪ/ (UK)
See all 6 pronunciations
/ˈklæɹ.ɪ.faɪ/ (UK) · /ˈklæɹ.ə.faɪ/ (UK) · /ˈklɛɹ.ɪ.faɪ/ (US) · /ˈklɛɹ.ə.faɪ/ (US) · /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.fɑɪ/ · /ˈklæɹ.ə.fɑɪ/

Definition of clarify

3 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

verb

  1. (ergative)To make or become clear or bright by freeing from impurities or turbidity.
    “What's the best way to clarify cooking oil?”
    “Leave the wine for 24 hours and it will clarify.”
See all 3 definitions

verb

  1. (ergative)To make or become clear or bright by freeing from impurities or turbidity.
    “What's the best way to clarify cooking oil?”
    “Leave the wine for 24 hours and it will clarify.”
  2. (broadly)To make or become clear or easily understood; to explain or resolve in order to remove doubt or obscurity.
    “Please clarify what you mean by this.”
    “Over time, the situation gradually clarified.”
    “To clarify his reason, to rectify his will.”
    “We assimilate cultural interpretations based on the value our cultural editors determine and the level of abundance we are allowed to have without violating tribal horizons. I should clarify that I am not suggesting that we are passive recipients of everything the cultural editors tell us about ourselves.”
    “The report does not clarify what investigation the supervisor did, if any, to assess the suspect's allegations, or how he determined that the allegations were false. Supervisors also fail to provide recommendations for how to ensure officer safety and minimize the need for force going forward.”
  3. (obsolete)To glorify.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English clarifien, from Old French clarifiier, from Latin clārificō, clārificāre; clārus (“clear”) + faciō, facere (“make”). Semantically clear + -ify.

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