all clear

IPA/ˈɔːl klˈiə/
IPA/ˈɔːl klˈɪɹ/

all clear — noun

1. a spoken or visual signal that tells people a dangerous situation is over and th

1.nounB2
Definition

a spoken or visual signal that tells people a dangerous situation is over and they can stop taking safety measures

Example

After the tsunami warning, the mayor gave the all clear for residents to return home.

collocation: gave the all clear

Folake listened for the all clear before climbing out of the underground shelter.

Common collocations
  • give the all clear
  • sound the all clear
  • get the all clear
  • the all clear is given
  • wait for the all clear
Synonyms
  • green light

    more figurative, used for permission to start rather than end of danger

  • go-ahead

    informal, focuses on permission to proceed, not safety

  • OK

    very informal; broader meaning beyond emergency situations

Antonyms
  • warning

    a signal that danger is present or coming

  • alarm

    a signal that calls attention to danger, the opposite of cancellation

Grammar Patterns

the all clear

give/sound/get the all clear

Usage Note

Usually used in the phrase 'the all clear'. The signal can be a siren, a whistle, a radio announcement, or a verbal statement.

Common Mistakes

We received an all clear from the doctor.
We received the all clear from the doctor.
'all clear' is almost always preceded by 'the', not 'an'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three alternatives share the idea of permission to proceed, but differ in scope and context. 'Green light' (B2, figurative) suggests a formal decision to begin a project or action — unlike 'all clear', it carries no sense that danger has just ended. 'Go-ahead' (B1-B2, informal) is roughly interchangeable with 'green light' but feels more conversational. 'OK' (A2, very informal) is the broadest — it can serve as an all-purpose signal of approval or safety in casual conversation but lacks the emergency-context weight of 'all clear'. 'Clearance' (C1, formal) applies to official permission in professional settings such as aviation or security ('clearance to land', 'security clearance'). For example, a manager might give the go-ahead for a marketing campaign, but only an air traffic controller would grant clearance to take off.

green lightgo-ahead ↗OK ↗clearance ↗

Etymology

EnglishMiddle English

The phrase 'all clear' began as a military term in the early 1900s, used to signal that enemy aircraft had left the area and it was safe to leave bomb shelters. The word 'clear' in this sense means 'free of danger or obstruction', a meaning that dates back to Middle English. During the World Wars it spread into civilian usage for air-raid warnings, and later broadened to any situation where an 'all clear' signal is given.

First known use

1853

1853, in the meaning defined above