clarify

B2 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /ˈklɛɹ.ɪ.faɪ/ UK /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.faɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #10482

Meanings

1

verb
To make something easier to understand by explaining it more clearly.

Could you clarify what you mean by this?
2

verb
To make a liquid such as butter or oil clear by removing solid bits, usually by heating.

You should clarify the butter before adding it to the sauce.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make something easier to... explain

Word family

Forms clarifiedclarifiesclarifying

Derived forms clarifiabilityclarifiableexplainifyreclarify

Related forms clarification

Etymology

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

*kelh₁- Proto-Indo-European clarifien Middle English clarifiier Old French clarifico Latin

View etymology graph ->

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# clarify

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈklɛɹ.ɪ.faɪ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.faɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 10482

## Meanings
1. To make something easier to understand by explaining it more clearly.
2. To make a liquid such as butter or oil clear by removing solid bits, usually by heating.

## Examples
- Could you clarify what you mean by this?
- You should clarify the butter before adding it to the sauce.

## Derived Forms
- clarifiability
- clarifiable
- explainify
- reclarify

## Related Forms
- clarification

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kelh₁-
- Root: clarifien
- Root: clarifiier
- Root: clarifico
- Affix: -ify - to make

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

## AI Etymology
clarify is a verb. It is from Middle English clarifien, from Old French clarifiier, from Latin clārificō, clārificāre; clārus (“clear”) + faciō, facere (“make”). Semantically clear + -ify. Historical forms in the chain include *kelh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), clarifien (Middle English), clarifiier (Old French), and clarifico (Latin). Current senses include to make something easier to understand by explaining it more clearly and to make a liquid such as butter or oil clear by removing solid bits, usually by heating. Derived forms include clarifiability, clarifiable, explainify, and reclarify. Related words include clarification.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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clarify

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