clearness

English

Etymology

From Middle English clernesse; equivalent to clear +‎ -ness.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)nəs

Noun

clearness (usually uncountable, plural clearnesses)

1. (obsolete) Brightness, brilliancy. [14th–17th c.]
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter XV, in Le Morte Darthur, book XVII:

     Thenne sayd he Fair swete fader Ihesu Cryst yf euer I dyd thyng that pleasyd the lord / for thy pyte ne haue me not in despyte for my synnes done afore tyme / and that thou shewe me some thynge of that I seke / And with that he sawe the chamber dore open and there came oute a grete clerenes / that the hows was as bryghte as all torches of the world had ben there

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. Mental or sensory distinctness; clarity of understanding, perception etc. [from 16th c.]
   • 1966 September 6, “The Lowest Depths”, in Time:

     The daily press is the evil principle of the modern world, and time will only serve to disclose this fact with greater and greater clearness.

3. The state of being free from obscurities or opacity; distinctness of light, colour etc. [from 17th c.]

   The clearness of the water meant I could still see the key lying on the river-bed.

4. The state of being free from obstruction or interference. [from 17th c.]

   The clearness of the path made for an easy hike.

Derived terms

• clearness committee

Translations

the state or measure of being clear

• Esperanto: klareco (eo)
• French: clarté (fr) f
• Greek: διαύγεια (el) f (diávgeia), καθαρότητα (el) f (katharótita)
• Irish: glaine f, trédhearcacht f, gile (ga) f
• Latin: claritudo f
• Latvian: skaidrība f, skaidrums m, dzidrums m
• Romanian: claritate (ro) f, limpeziciune (ro) f
• Spanish: claridad (es) f

Anagrams

• cleansers