clarifying

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklæɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ/

Verb

clarifying

1. present participle and gerund of clarify

Noun

clarifying (plural clarifyings)

1. A clarification.
   • 1931, John de Boer, The Theory of Knowledge of the Cambridge Platonists, page 64:

     Then after that process which Culverwel describes as so many strainings, refinings, and clarifyings, the mind is prepared for a true insight into the real nature of the world by way of intuition.

Adjective

clarifying (comparative more clarifying, superlative most clarifying)

1. Providing clarity; making clear.

   The witness gave some clarifying information about the event.

   2018 June 23, Erin Keane, “Inside women's “Ambition Decisions”: On opting out, buying in or embracing the "flex life"”, in Salon‎^[1]:

   I found the book to be insightful and clarifying in a way that traditional career-focused books for women rarely are. Rather than lay out a prescriptive path, they really listened to women talk about their lives and challenges — how novel! — and illuminated areas of overlap, surfaced and clarified themes, and pointed out commonalities that extend beyond the borders of their graduating class.

   2015 April 24, Erin Keane, “The Cooper Union Tragedy”, in The New Yorker‎^[2]:

   Perhaps the Attorney General’s investigation will shed an equally clarifying light upon the inner workings of the institution today.

2. Removing impurities or particulates.

   Wash your hair with clarifying shampoo.

Derived terms

• clarifyingly
• unclarifying