clearinghouse

noun

clear·​ing·​house ˈklir-iŋ-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce clearinghouse (audio)
1
: an establishment maintained by banks for settling mutual claims and accounts
2
: a central agency for the collection, classification, and distribution especially of information
broadly : an informal channel for distributing information or assistance

Examples of clearinghouse in a Sentence

an online clearinghouse for information on museums around the world
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, companies should use a single platform as a clearinghouse and repository for all crucial data. 3. Find hidden data. Simon Dae Oong Kim, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Many housing and code violation cases originate in local mayor’s courts, and a county-wide housing court would need buy-in from all of these local governments to agree to use the county docket as a clearinghouse for these cases. Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024 Tanton also published and, for many years, edited The Social Contract, a magazine that served as a clearinghouse for his ideas. Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024 Roughly 60 such threats in a 16-county area were vetted in September by the Southwest Texas Fusion Center, an intelligence clearinghouse of multiple law enforcement agencies managed by the San Antonio Police Department. Melissa Manno, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clearinghouse 

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clearinghouse was in 1792

Dictionary Entries Near clearinghouse

Cite this Entry

“Clearinghouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clearinghouse. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

clearinghouse

noun
clear·​ing·​house -ˌhau̇s How to pronounce clearinghouse (audio)
1
: an institution run by banks for the exchanging of checks and claims
2
: a central agency for collecting and giving out information

Legal Definition

clearinghouse

noun
clear·​ing·​house ˈklir-iŋ-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce clearinghouse (audio)
: an institution that arranges for payment of checks owed by one bank to another

More from Merriam-Webster on clearinghouse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!