Standard Lemma guide

unclear

adj · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ʌnˈklɪə(ɹ)/
  • US: /ʌnˈklɪɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N K L IH1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The remark she made comparing her life with that of a fish was unclear.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not clearly or explicitly defined.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • From such a long distance away, the name on the signpost was unclear.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Not having a clear idea; uncertain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I'm still unclear about what she meant by that remark.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To undo the process of clearing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

not clear to the mind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the law itself was unclear on that point
  • the reason for their actions is unclear to this day

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: clear

7

adjective

Meaning 7

poorly stated or described

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he confuses the reader with ill-defined terms and concepts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ill-defined

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

not easily deciphered

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • indecipherable handwriting

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indecipherable, undecipherable, unreadable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English unclere, equivalent to un- + clear. Compare Saterland Frisian uunkloor (“unclear”), West Frisian ûnklear (“inoperative, broken”), Dutch onklaar (“out of order, defective, broken”), German unklar (“unclear”), Danish uklar (“unclear”), Swedish oklar (“unclear”).

Across languages

Translations

61 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: няя́сны (njajásny) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Bulgarian: нея́сен (nejásen) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不清 (bùqīng) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Czech: nejasný — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Finnish: monitulkintainen — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Finnish: epäselvä — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • German: unklar — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • German: unübersichtlich — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Greek: ασαφής (asafís) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Ancient Greek: ἀσαφής (asaphḗs) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Hungarian: homályos — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Hungarian: ködös — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Italian: ambiguo — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Italian: confuso — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Lithuanian: neaiškus — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Macedonian: неја́сен (nejásen) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Plautdietsch: onkloa — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Polish: niejasny — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Portuguese: confuso — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Romanian: neclar — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Romanian: ambiguu — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Russian: нея́сный (nejásnyj) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Serbo-Croatian: нејасан — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Serbo-Croatian: nejasan — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Slovak: nejasný — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Slovene: nejasen — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Spanish: ambiguo — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Spanish: equívoco — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Spanish: poco claro — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Spanish: confuso — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Turkish: bulanık — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Ukrainian: нея́сний (nejásnyj) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Yiddish: אומקלאָר (umklor) — ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不明顯 /不明显 (bù míngxiǎn) — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Czech: nejasný — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Finnish: epäselvä — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • German: unklar — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Greek: αδιευκρίνιστος (adiefkrínistos) — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Hungarian: tisztázatlan — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Italian: vago — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Italian: impreciso — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Japanese: 不明 (fumei) — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Polish: niejasny — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Portuguese: confuso — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Russian: нея́сный (nejásnyj) — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Russian: непоня́тный (neponjátnyj) — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Spanish: poco claro — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Spanish: confuso — not clearly or explicitly defined
  • Finnish: epäselvä — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • German: undeutlich — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • German: unübersichtlich — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Ancient Greek: ἀσαφής (asaphḗs) — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Italian: illeggibile — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Italian: indecifrabile — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Italian: incomprensibile — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Māori: ngau — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Māori: hākirikiri — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Russian: нечёткий (nečótkij) — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Russian: нея́сный (nejásnyj) — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Spanish: poco claro — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable
  • Ukrainian: нечітки́й (nečitkýj) — not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable