clarify
verb /ˈklærəfaɪ/
/ˈklærəfaɪ/
Word Family
- clear adjective (≠ unclear)
- clearly adverb
- clarity noun
- clarify verb
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they clarify | /ˈklærəfaɪ/ /ˈklærəfaɪ/ |
| he / she / it clarifies | /ˈklærəfaɪz/ /ˈklærəfaɪz/ |
| past simple clarified | /ˈklærəfaɪd/ /ˈklærəfaɪd/ |
| past participle clarified | /ˈklærəfaɪd/ /ˈklærəfaɪd/ |
| -ing form clarifying | /ˈklærəfaɪɪŋ/ /ˈklærəfaɪɪŋ/ |
- (formal) to make something clearer or easier to understand
- clarify something to clarify a situation/problem/issue
- I hope this clarifies my position.
- The law on drugs needs to be clarified.
- Talking to someone has helped clarify my feelings.
- clarify what/how, etc… She asked him to clarify what he meant.
Language Bank definedefineDefining terms- It is important to clarify what is meant by climate change.
- Climate change can/may be defined as ‘the long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind and other aspects of the earth’s climate’.
- A generally accepted definition of global warming is the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect.
- The greenhouse effect is defined by the author as the process by which heat from the sun is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, causing the temperature of the earth to rise.
- The author uses the term climate change to refer to any significant change in measures of climate lasting for an extended period.
- The term ‘carbon footprint’ refers to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of an individual or organization.
- Scientists suggest that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperatures, and the term ‘global warming’ is used to describe this phenomenon.
Extra Examples- I am happy to clarify any points that are still unclear.
- I hope I managed to clarify things a little.
- Let me clarify my position on this matter.
- The 1880s saw a major attempt to clarify the law and simplify court procedure.
- The illustrations are meant to clarify some of the points in the text.
- There are one or two issues that need to be clarified.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- fully
- exactly
- further
- …
- attempt to
- seek to
- try to
- …
- clarify something to make something, especially butter, pure by heating it
- clarified butter
Word OriginMiddle English (in the senses ‘set forth clearly’ and ‘make pure and clean’): from Old French clarifier, from late Latin clarificare, from Latin clarus ‘clear’.