clearing

clearing — noun

1. an open area inside a forest where the trees and other plants have been removed,

1.nounB1
Definition

an open area inside a forest where the trees and other plants have been removed, so that the ground is bare and sunlight can reach it.

Example

Leila and her brother ran into a sunny clearing, where they could finally see the open sky.

collocation: forest clearing / ran into a clearing

Deep in the woods, the hikers found a quiet clearing surrounded by tall oak trees.

passive past participle: surrounded by [trees]

Common collocations
  • a forest clearing
  • a woodland clearing
  • in a clearing
  • a small / wide / grassy clearing
  • reach a clearing
  • a clearing in the woods / forest
Synonyms
  • glade

    more literary or poetic; often suggests a smaller, prettier, sunnier open area in a forest

  • opening

    more general; can refer to any gap or space in any surface, not limited to forests

  • gap

    narrower than a clearing; implies a break between two things rather than a distinct open area

Antonyms
  • thicket

    a dense group of bushes or small trees — the opposite of an open, cleared space

Common Mistakes

We had a picnic in a clearing in the middle of the city.
We had a picnic in a clearing in the middle of the forest.
A clearing is specifically an open area inside a woodland or forest, not any empty space in a city or town.

2. a process in the UK that takes place in late summer, during which universities o

2.nounB2
Definition

a process in the UK that takes place in late summer, during which universities offer places on courses that were not fully filled to students who do not yet have a confirmed place at any university.

Example

After getting lower A-level results than expected, Aiko logged onto the UCAS website and found an open spot through Clearing.

compound verb: logged onto...and found / through Clearing

Manchester Metropolitan University still has fifteen places left on its civil engineering courses through Clearing this August.

collocation: places left on [course] through Clearing

Common collocations
  • through Clearing
  • the Clearing process
  • the Clearing system
  • Clearing opens / starts
  • Clearing places
  • apply via Clearing
  • a Clearing hotline

Usage Note

This sense refers specifically to the UK university admissions system. 'Clearing' is often capitalized when it refers to this official process. It is not used in other countries' education systems.

Common Mistakes

I applied through Clearing before taking my final exams.
I applied through Clearing after I received my exam results in August.
Clearing only operates once official exam results have been released, typically in mid-August in the UK.
The American university uses Clearing to fill its remaining places.
The UK university uses Clearing to fill its remaining places.
Clearing is a system specific to the United Kingdom and is not used by American universities.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe spaces or gaps, but each is used in a different context. A clearing is specifically an open area inside a forest where trees have been cut away — it is the most precise term for this situation. A glade is similar but tends to suggest a smaller, sunnier, and more picturesque spot; it carries a more literary or romantic feel. An opening is a much more general word — it can refer to any gap or unblocked space in any surface, not just in a forest (e.g., an opening in a wall, an opening in the clouds). A gap is narrower than an opening and implies a break or separation between two things (e.g., a gap between two rocks). A dell is a small, secluded valley, usually with trees on its slopes, so it describes a landform rather than a cleared space. For example: 'The family set up their tent in a forest clearing' (specific to trees cut by people). 'Sunlight poured through an opening in the cave ceiling' (any gap — not a forest). 'The poet described a peaceful glade deep in the ancient woods' (more literary, smaller space). 'A narrow gap in the hedge led to the garden' (a break, not an area).

gladeopening ↗gap ↗dell

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • Clearing opens
  • Clearing starts
  • through Clearing
  • apply via Clearing

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The noun 'clearing' was formed in the late 1600s from the verb 'clear' (meaning 'to remove trees or obstacles from land') plus the suffix '-ing.' The verb 'clear' itself comes from Old English 'clǣran' (to make clear), which traces back through Proto-Germanic to the Latin 'clarus' (bright, clear). The sense of a forest clearing — land freed of trees — appeared around the 1670s. The UK university admissions meaning developed much later, in the late 20th century, as a new use of the same word to describe the process of 'clearing' unfilled places.