Meaning & use
clarify
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make something easier to understand by explaining it more clearly or giving more detail.
Grammar: Usually takes an object or a clause: clarify the rules, clarify what you mean.
Patterns
- clarify something
- clarify what/why/how
- clarify something for someone
Could you clarify what you mean by a late fee?
The teacher clarified the instructions for the whole class.
The spokesperson clarified that the offer was only temporary.
verbtransitivespecialist
To make a liquid, such as butter or wine, clear by removing solid bits from it.
Grammar: A cooking and technical sense with a physical object: clarify butter.
Patterns
- clarify something
The chef clarified the butter by heating it gently and skimming the top.
Winemakers clarify wine to remove tiny particles.
You can clarify stock by straining it through a cloth.
Word forms
| third person singular | clarifies |
|---|---|
| past tense | clarified |
| past participle | clarified |
| -ing form | clarifying |
Common combinations
- clarify the situation
- The manager called a meeting to clarify the situation.
- clarify a point
- Let me clarify one point before we move on.
- clarify your position
- The candidate was asked to clarify her position on taxes.
- need to clarify
- We need to clarify who is responsible for the report.
- seek clarification
- She wrote to the school to seek clarification about the new rules.
- further clarify
- The report further clarified the reasons for the delay.
Synonyms and how they differ
- explain
- Explain is the general word for telling how something works, while clarify specifically removes confusion about something already said.
- clear up
- Clear up is more informal and often used for misunderstandings or mistakes.
- elucidate
- Elucidate is a formal word for shedding light on something difficult, and it sounds more academic than clarify.
- spell out
- Spell out means to state something in full and obvious detail, often because it was not understood.
Opposites
Word family
- clarification noun
- an explanation that removes confusion
- clarity noun
- the quality of being clear
- clear adjective
- easy to understand or see through
- clarifier noun
- something or someone that makes things clear, rarely used
Commonly confused: clarify or classify?
clarify vs classify
Classify means to put things into groups by type. It looks and sounds similar but has nothing to do with making things clearer.
Practice
My email was confusing, so I sent another one to ___ the deadline.
Choose one answer.
Clarify means to make clearer, which fits a confusing email. Classify is a similar-looking word that means to sort, and clarity is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clarify”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.