unclear

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”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈklɪə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈklɪɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

unclear (comparative unclearer or more unclear, superlative unclearest or most unclear)

1. Ambiguous; liable to more than one interpretation.

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

2. Not clearly or explicitly defined.
3. Not easy to see or read; indecipherable or unreadable.

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

4. Not having a clear idea; uncertain.

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

• unclear medicine
• unclearly (adv)

unclear (third-person singular simple present unclears, present participle unclearing, simple past and past participle uncleared)

1. (transitive, rare) To undo the process of clearing.
   • 1998, Jeffrey J. Mayer, ACT! 4 for Windows for Dummies, page xx:

     Clearing, unclearing and deleting activities

   • 2012, Gerald DeJong, Investigating Explanation-Based Learning, page 108:

     […] finally [the block] would be cleared and remain that way until moved. Although this clearing and unclearing can occur repeatedly, the current BAGGER algorithm is unable to generalize number within unwindable subproofs.

• crenula, lucarne, nuclear