Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Clarification has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding
"the professor's clarification helped her to understand the textbook"
the act of removing solid particles from a liquid
"The winemaker performed clarification to remove sediment and achieve a clear bottle of wine."
The act of clarifying; the act or process of making clear or transparent by freeing visible impurities; particularly, the clearing or fining of liquid substances from feculent matter by the separation of the insoluble particles which prevent the liquid from being transparent.
"The winemaker performed a final clarification on the wine to remove all sediment before bottling."
In plain English: Clarification is when you explain something better so everyone understands it clearly.
"The manager asked for clarification before approving the budget plan."
Usage: Use clarification to refer specifically to the physical process of removing particles from a liquid like wine or juice. Do not use it as a synonym for general explanation when you simply mean "making something easier to understand."
This word entered English via Middle French and ultimately traces back to the Latin clārificātiō. It originally referred to making something clear or bright before evolving into its modern sense of explaining a subject clearly.