clear-cut

1 of 3

adjective

ˈklir-ˈkət 

1

: sharply outlined : distinct

2

: free from ambiguity or uncertainty : unambiguous

a clear-cut decision

clear-cut

2 of 3

noun

ˈklir-ˌkət 

: an area of forest in which all the trees have been cut down

But the logging has been concentrated in the high-volume old-growth forest, and clear-cuts are spread over almost every one of the region's watersheds.

—Catherine Caufield

also : clear-cutting

clear-cut

3 of 3

verb

ˈklir-ˌkət 

clear-cut; clear-cutting

transitive verb

: to cut down all the trees in (an area of forest)

He says there has been a massive deforestation as the Chinese have clear-cut millions of acres of Tibetan Forests to sell lumber on the export market …

—Daniel Goleman

… native rain forest experts who harvest plants for traditional healers, make from two to 10 times per hectare the income of a farmer who clear-cuts the forest for planting crops.

—Cathy Sears and Robert Neuwirth

Synonyms

Adjective

• apparent
• bald
• bald-faced
• barefaced
• bright-line
• broad
• clear
• crystal clear
• decided
• distinct
• evident
• lucid
• luculent
• luminous
• manifest
• nonambiguous
• obvious
• open-and-shut
• palpable
• patent
• pellucid
• perspicuous
• plain
• ringing
• straightforward
• transparent
• unambiguous
• unambivalent
• unequivocal
• unmistakable

Examples of clear-cut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In those cases that aren’t as clear-cut, here are three questions to ask yourself about your diet, Rollin and Mokari said. —Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024

But the American obsession with this now-ubiquitous side is more clear-cut. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024

For RedBird, the consequences of failing to build a stadium are less clear-cut. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024

As for the food, the spicy queso sandwich is the clear-cut winner. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024

Just a little bit later, the story isn’t looking so clear-cut. —Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024

And in cybersecurity, where the role of hackers and the defenders are clear-cut, red teaming has a substantial track record. —IEEE Spectrum, 15 Mar. 2024

But the ultimate assessment by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and Ammann’s defense attorney — as well as Judge David Cena — did not treat the case as so clear-cut. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024

Jessica Levinson, an election law professor at Loyola Law School and former president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, sees the situation as less clear-cut than Common Cause’s McMorris does. —Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1958, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1914, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

clear-cut

adjective

ˈkli(ə)r-ˈkət

: free from doubt or uncertainty : definite

a clear-cut victory