unclear

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈklɪɚ/ UK /ʌnˈklɪə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual

Freq #12125

Meanings

1

adj
Not easy to understand or know for certain.

It is still unclear why the train was delayed.
2

adj
Not sure about something in your own mind.

I'm still unclear about what she meant by that remark.
3

adj
Hard to see or read.

From a distance, the name on the sign was unclear.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not easy to understand or... ill-defined

2 adj · not sure about something in... uncertain

3 adj · hard to see or read. indecipherable unreadable

Word family

Derived forms unclearly

Etymology

From Middle English unclere, equivalent to un- + clear. Compare Saterland Frisian uunkloor (“unclear”), West Frisian ûnklear (“inoperative, broken”), Dutch onklaar (“out of order, defective, broken”), German unklar (“unclear”), Danish uklar (“unclear”), Swedish oklar (“unclear”).

unclere Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# unclear

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ʌnˈklɪɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ʌnˈklɪə(ɹ)/
**Frequency rank:** 12125

## Meanings
1. Not easy to understand or know for certain.
2. Not sure about something in your own mind.
3. Hard to see or read.

## Examples
- It is still unclear why the train was delayed.
- I'm still unclear about what she meant by that remark.
- From a distance, the name on the sign was unclear.

## Derived Forms
- unclearly

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: unclere

## Etymology
From Middle English unclere, equivalent to un- + clear. Compare Saterland Frisian uunkloor (“unclear”), West Frisian ûnklear (“inoperative, broken”), Dutch onklaar (“out of order, defective, broken”), German unklar (“unclear”), Danish uklar (“unclear”), Swedish oklar (“unclear”).

## AI Etymology
Unclear is from Middle English unclere, equivalent to un- + clear. Compare Saterland Frisian uunkloor (“unclear”), West Frisian ûnklear (“inoperative, broken”), Dutch onklaar (“out of order, defective, broken”), German unklar (“unclear”), Danish uklar (“unclear”), Swedish oklar (“unclear”). In present-day use, it can mean not easy to understand or know for certain, or not sure about something in your own mind. Derived formations include unclearly.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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