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Meaning & use

clarion call

noun·Advancedliterary

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UK/ˈklærɪən kɔːl/
US/ˈklæriən kɔːl/

Meanings

  1. nounusually singularfigurative

    A loud, stirring appeal that urges people to act, often for a cause that matters deeply.

    Grammar: Usually singular with a: a clarion call for reform. It is followed by for, to or of.

    Patterns

    • a clarion call for something
    • a clarion call to do something

    The report was a clarion call for cleaner rivers.

    Her speech became a clarion call to the younger generation.

    The flood served as a clarion call for better planning.

  2. nouncountableold-fashioned

    The clear, ringing blast of a trumpet used as a signal, especially in battle or ceremony.

    Grammar: The literal and now old-fashioned meaning; today the phrase is mostly figurative.

    Patterns

    • the clarion call of a trumpet

    A clarion call rang across the field at dawn.

    Soldiers rose at the clarion call of the bugle.

    The clarion call announced the arrival of the king.

Word forms

pluralclarion calls

Common combinations

a clarion call for change
The protest was a clarion call for change.
sound a clarion call
Scientists sounded a clarion call about rising seas.
issue a clarion call
The mayor issued a clarion call to volunteers.
answer the clarion call
Thousands answered the clarion call to help.
heed the clarion call
Leaders must heed the clarion call of the voters.

Synonyms and how they differ

rallying cry
Rallying cry is a slogan used to unite supporters, while a clarion call is an urgent appeal for action that need not be a slogan.
call to arms
Call to arms can be literal and military, whereas clarion call is mostly figurative and suggests inspiring rather than ordering.
wake-up call
A wake-up call is an event that makes people finally notice a problem, and it is more informal than clarion call.
battle cry
Battle cry is a shout used in fighting or competition, and it is more aggressive than clarion call.

Word family

clarion noun
a medieval trumpet with a clear, shrill tone
clarion adjective
loud, clear and rousing, as in a clarion voice
clarity noun
the quality of being clear; it shares the Latin root clarus

Commonly confused: clarion call or clarinet?

clarion call vs clarinet

A clarinet is a woodwind instrument, while a clarion was a trumpet-like horn, and a clarion call is an appeal rather than an instrument.

Practice

A scientist's report warns that forests are vanishing and urges immediate global action. How might a journalist describe it?

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