Dictionary

clarify en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈklɛɹ.ə.faɪ/ (Canada, US)
• /ˈklæɹ.ə.fɑɪ/ (Australia)
• /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.fɑɪ/ (Australia)
• /ˈklɛɹ.ɪ.faɪ/ (Canada, US)
• /ˈklæɹ.ə.faɪ/ (UK, US)
• /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.faɪ/ (UK, US)

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. (ergative, of liquids, qualifier:such as wine or syrup) To make or become clear or bright by freeing from impurities or turbidity.
   • Leave the wine for 24 hours and it will clarify.
   • What's the best way to clarify cooking oil?
2. (broadly) To make or become clear or easily understood; to explain or resolve in order to remove doubt or obscurity.
   • To clarify his reason, to rectify his will. 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
   • 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. 2015, United States Department of Justice, Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department:
   • 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. 2014, Mario Martinez, The MindBody Code: How to Change the Beliefs that Limit Your Health, Longevity, and Success:
   • Please clarify what you mean by this.
   • Over time, the situation gradually clarified.
3. (obsolete) To glorify.

Forms

Deriveds

explainify · clarifiable · clarifiability · reclarify

Relateds

clarification

Synonyms

get straight · explicitize · bring home

Translations (104)

tr halletmek (to clear up) · tr arınmak ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · no klargjøre ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · el διευκρινίζω ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · he הבהיר ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · de klarstellen ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · hu tisztáz ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · ru очища́ть ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · el ξεκαθαρίζω ((intransitive) to become clear or easily understood) · hu pontosít ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · hu derít ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · pl wyjaśniać ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · es poner en claro ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · fi selventää ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · nl ophelderen ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · tr çözmek (to clear up) · nl opklaren (to clear up) · hu kitisztul (to clear up) · ro limpezi ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ia clarificar ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · te స్పష్టీకరించు ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ca aclarir ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · de klären ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · nl verduidelijken ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · mi whakapūaho ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · mi whakamahuki ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · uk очи́стити ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · ro limpezi ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · ru чи́стить ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · sv tydliggöra ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · fi selvitä (to clear up) · az təmizləmək ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · fi seljetä (to clear up) · qu ch'uyayachiy ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ro clarifica ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · de klären ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · az aydınlıq gətirmək ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · fi selkeytyä ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · pt clarear ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · pt clarificar ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · hy պարզաբանել ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ru проясни́ться ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · pl oczyszczać ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · el ξεκαθαρίζω ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · eo pliklarigi ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · uk очища́ти ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · bg бистря ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · de klar werden ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · nl klaren ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · bg избистрям се ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · pt aclarar ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ru проясни́ть ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · pl oczyścić ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · bg избистрям ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ia clarificar ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · tr temizlenmek ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · it esplicitare ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · es clarificar ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · nl klaren ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · sv förtydliga ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · rup limpidzãscu ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · fi selkeyttää ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · uz aniqlamoq ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · es aclarar ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · de aufklären (to clear up) · tl ipalinaw ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · bg изяснявам се ((intransitive) to become clear or easily understood) · ar اِسْتَجْلَى ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · it chiarificare ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · ro purifica ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · az aydınlaşmaq ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · az aydınlaşdırmaq ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · it chiarire ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ro clarifica ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · cs vyjasnit ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · tl ipaliwanag ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · es esclarecer ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ckb ڕوون کردن ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · fr clarifier ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · tr temizlemek ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · hu tisztáz ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · bg изяснявам се ((intransitive) to become clear or transparent) · pt clarificar ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · fa شفافسازی کردن ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · mi whakamārama ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · th ชี้แจง ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · cs objasnit ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · it purificare ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · cmn 澄清 ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · ru проясня́ть ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · bg пречиствам ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · sv klargöra ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · no rydde opp ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · el διευκρινίζομαι ((intransitive) to become clear or easily understood) · pl wyjaśnić ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · pt clarear ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · es clarificar ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · hu leszűr ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · bg изяснявам ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · tr temizlemek ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · eo klarigi ((transitive) to make clear or bright by freeing from impurities) · bg пречиствам (to clear up) · tr arındırmak ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood) · hu egyértelműsít ((''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood)