clean

1 of 4

adjective

ˈklēn 

1

a

: free from dirt or pollution

changed to clean clothes

clean solar energy

b

: free from contamination or disease

a clean wound

c

: free or relatively free from radioactivity

a clean atomic explosion

2

a

: unadulterated, pure

the clean thrill of one's first flight

b

of a precious stone : having no interior flaws visible

c

: free from growth that hinders tillage

clean farmland

3

a

: free from moral corruption or sinister connections of any kind

a candidate with a clean record

also : free from violations

a clean driving record

b

: free from offensive treatment of sexual subjects and from the use of obscenity

a clean joke

c

: observing the rules : fair

a clean fight

4

: ceremonially or spiritually pure

and all who are clean may eat flesh

—Leviticus 7:19 (Revised Standard Version)

5

a

: thorough, complete

a clean break with the past

b

: deftly executed : skillful

clean ballet technique

The gymnast made a clean landing.

c

: hit beyond the reach of an opponent

a clean single to center

6

a

: relatively free from error or blemish : clear

specifically : legible

clean copy

b

: unencumbered

clean bill of sale

7

a

: characterized by clarity and precision : trim

a clean prose style

architecture with clean almost austere lines

b

: even, smooth

a clean edge

a sharp blow causing a clean break

c

: free from external hindrances to smooth flow (as of water or air)

a clean airplane

a ship with a clean bottom

8

a

: empty

the ship returned with a clean hold

b

: free from drug addiction

has been clean for six months

c

slang : having no contraband (such as weapons or drugs) in one's possession

All visitors to the prison are searched to make sure they're clean.

d

of a computer : not having anything added by a user

installed the software on a clean computer

9

: habitually neat

clean

2 of 4

adverb

1

a

: so as to clean

a new broom sweeps clean

b

: in a clean manner

play the game clean

2

: all the way : completely

the bullet went clean through his arm

clean

3 of 4

verb

cleaned; cleaning; cleans

transitive verb

1

a

: to make clean: such as

(1)

: to rid of dirt, impurities, or extraneous matter

clean a wound

(2)

: to rid of corruption

vowing to clean up city hall

b

: remove, eradicate

—usually used with up or off

clean up that mess

2

a

: strip, empty

a tree cleaned of fruit

b

: to remove the entrails from

clean fish

c

: to deprive of money or possessions

—often used with out

they cleaned him out completely

intransitive verb

: to undergo or perform a process of cleaning

clean up before dinner

cleanability

ˌklē-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

cleanable

ˈklē-nə-bəl 

adjective

clean

4 of 4

noun

: an act of cleaning dirt especially from the surface of something

She gave the tub a good clean.

Phrases

clean house

1

: to clean a house and its furniture

2

: to make sweeping reforms or changes (as of personnel)

clean one's clock

: to beat one badly in a fight or competition

clean up one's act

: to behave in a more acceptable manner

Synonyms

Adjective

• antiseptic
• chaste
• fair
• immaculate
• pristine
• spick-and-span
• spic-and-span
• spotless
• squeaky-clean
• stainless
• unsoiled
• unstained
• unsullied

Adverb

• cleanly
• fair
• fairly
• legally

Verb

• cleanse
• deterge
• GI
• turn out

Examples of clean in a Sentence

Adjective

This table isn't clean. There's a sticky spot where something spilled.

He keeps a very clean house.

The janitor does a good job of keeping the office clean.

I wiped the baby's face clean.

He's a clean young man.

Cats are very clean animals.

Solar power provides clean energy.

Adverb

Somehow, the top of the machine came clean off.

The nail went clean through the wall.

The fish were jumping clean out of the water.

Verb

The carpet needs to be cleaned.

They divide household duties so that she cleans and her husband cooks.

They cleaned the fish and cooked them on the campfire.

skin and clean a rabbit

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The clean, bright walls along with colorful rugs and hardwood floors can seem impossible for people living in apartments. —Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2023

At the end of the dredging, sediment that’s not placed on the beach could be left in the pit and covered with a layer of clean sand. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2023

Adverb

On the night of August 1, 1943, a Japanese destroyer rammed into John’s boat, PT-109, knocking its crew into the water and ripping the starboard side clean off. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Aug. 2024

Natural Gas: Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel source that is generally less expensive than other fuels. —Gannon Burgett, Car and Driver, 28 Mar. 2023

Verb

Johnston, who had been speaking with the software’s designer, wanted individual counties to start using it to clean their rolls. —Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024

How is Diwali celebrated? Diwali celebrations begin by devotees deep cleaning their homes and surroundings to prepare for the goddess' arrival, as per Smithsonian. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 1 Nov. 2024

Noun

But for a more comprehensive clean, use a crevice tool along the edges and scatter baking soda or cornstarch onto the mattress (to soak up odors or oils) before vacuuming and use the crevice tool along the edges. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2024

These handy tools turn your regular face-washing session into a spa-like clean. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English clene, going back to Old English clǣne "free from impurities or dirt, unblemished," going back to West Germanic *klainja- (whence also Old Saxon klēni "slender, perceptive," Middle Dutch cleine, clēne "of superior quality, elegant, slender, small," Old High German kleini, chleine "fine, delicate, clever"), of uncertain origin

Note: On the grounds that Low German klīn and Swiss German khlii, with an ablaut grade *klīn-, require a verbal origin, a base *klein-/*klain-/klin- has been suggested, whence Old Norse klína "to smear, butter (bread)," Old High German giklenan "to stroke, smear," from Indo-European *glei̯H- "smear, make stick" (whence, also with a nasal present formation, Old Irish glenaid "(it) adheres, cleaves," Welsh glynu "to stick, adhere"; cf. clay). This derivation would imply for the Germanic adjective an original meaning "smeared on well, carefully applied," hence "well crafted, of superior quality" > "free of impurities, fine, delicate" > "small" (see F. Heidermanns, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen Primäradjektiven, Berlin, 1993). The earlier proposal of a connection with Indo-European *gel- "bright, shining," is improbable, as none of the descendants of Germanic *klainja- have this meaning.

Adverb

Middle English clene, going back to Old English clǣne, derivative of clǣne clean entry 1

Verb

Middle English clenen "to clear of weeds," derivative of clene clean entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of clean entry 3

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing clean

• clean and jerk
• clean as a whistle
• clean break
• clean-cut
• clean house
• clean-limbed
• clean one's clock
• clean one's plate
• clean out
• clean room
• clean-shaven
• clean sheet
• clean slate
• clean sweep
• clean up
• clean up after
• clean up one's act
• come clean
• dry-clean
• give (someone or something) a clean bill of health
• keep one's nose clean
• make a clean break
• make a clean breast of
• pick (something) clean
• spring-clean
• squeaky-clean
• steam clean
• wipe (something) clean
• wipe the slate clean

Kids Definition

clean

1 of 3 adjective

ˈklēn 

1

: free from dirt or pollution

clean clothes

2

: free of objectionable behavior or language

led a clean life

a clean joke

3

: being such to the fullest degree : complete

made a clean sweep

4

: being precise or distinct : trim

a ship with clean lines

a clean writing style

5

: smooth entry 1 sense 1a

a sharp knife makes a clean cut

cleanness

ˈklēn-nəs 

noun

clean

2 of 3 adverb

1

a

: so as to clean

a new broom sweeps clean

b

: in a clean manner

fight clean

2

: all the way

trout leaping clean out of the water

clean

3 of 3 verb

1

: to make or become clean

clean your room

cleaned up for supper

2

: to take or use up the contents or resources of

tourists cleaned out the shops

Medical Definition

clean

1 of 2 adjective

ˈklēn 

1

a

: free from dirt or pollution

b

: free from disease or infectious agents

a pullorum-clean flock

keep installations clean of TB infection

2

: free from smudges or anything that tends to obscure

a clean set of fingerprints

3

of a horse's leg : free from curbs or bunches below the hock

4

: free from drug addiction

clean

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to brush (the teeth) with a cleanser (as a dentifrice)

2

: to perform dental prophylaxis on (the teeth)

Legal Definition

clean

adjective

: free of amendments or annotations