clear-cut
Americanadjective
-
formed with or having clearly defined outlines.
a face with clear-cut features.
-
unambiguously clear; completely evident; definite.
His sale of secrets was a clear-cut example of treachery.
-
of or relating to a section of forest where all trees have been cut down for harvesting.
noun
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
definite; not vague
a clear-cut proposal
-
clearly outlined
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of clear-cut
First recorded in 1850–55
Vocabulary lists containing clear-cut
Obvious
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Obvious
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The US leader's influence could be less clear-cut this time around, however.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
That refusal to cast anyone as a clear-cut villain is something critics have highlighted in their reviews.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
The protest's diversity and lack of clear-cut leaders make dialogue more challenging for the government, Osorio-Michel said.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
“Is there a clear-cut reason why I brought this friend to this party?” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
The first argues that before Columbus discovered America in 1492 there was no clear-cut and well-established idea of discovery; the idea of discovery is, as will become apparent, a precondition for the invention of science.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
