Dictionary / clarity
clarity
- noun
- from Old French
The state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “clarity” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- countableuncountableThe state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.
She dreamed with great clarity.
- countableuncountableThe ability to be easily understood.
Lack of clarity on the part of the teacher will cause confusion among the students.
- countableuncountableThe ability to think clearly and rationally.
- countableuncountableThe ability to be easily heard.
The singer was praised for the amazing clarity in her voice.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (2)
- nounfree from obscurity and easy to understand; the comprehensibility of clear expression — also: lucidity, lucidness, pellucidity, clearness, limpidity
- nounthe quality of clear water — also: clearness, uncloudedness
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)clarity
- Middle Englishclaritee
- Old Frenchclarté
- Latinclāritās
- Latinclārus “clear”
From Middle English claritee, from Old French clarté, from Latin clāritās, from clārus (“clear”); equivalent to clear + -ity.
Derivatives — words built from “clarity”
Phrases & compounds
Want to go deeper? See also “clarity” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “clarity” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
clarity n. [L. claritas, fr. clarus clear: cf. F. clart.]
- Clearness; brightness; splendor.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: The state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.
She dreamed with great clarity.
The brilliant clarity of his argument could not be faulted.
nounMeaning: The ability to be easily understood.
Lack of clarity on the part of the teacher will cause confusion among the students.
nounMeaning: The ability to be easily heard.
The singer was praised for the amazing clarity in her voice.
nounMeaning: the quality of clear water
when she awoke the clarity was back in her eyes
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
clarity
/ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ti/
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
clarity
/ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ti/ · noun
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “clarity” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“She dreamed with great clarity.”
Circle the meaning used.
“Lack of clarity on the part of the teacher will cause confusion among the students.”
Circle the meaning used.
“The singer was praised for the amazing clarity in her voice.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “clarity” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Latin clārus. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — clarity
Which meaning, sentence 1: A. The state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.
Which meaning, sentence 2: A. The ability to be easily understood.
Which meaning, sentence 3: C. The ability to be easily heard.
Origin: C. Old French (Old French clarté)
Journey: English clarity ← Middle English claritee ← Old French clarté ← Latin clāritās ← Latin clārus
Some derivatives: disclarity, hyperclarity, inclarity, unclarity
Original meaning: Latin clārus — “clear”
Etymology: From Middle English claritee, from Old French clarté, from Latin clāritās, from clārus (“clear”); equivalent to clear + -ity.
Sources: Wiktionary “clarity” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/clarity#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/clarity