Y09W21VC Word Roots — -clar- (clear)
The root -clar- comes from Latin and carries the core meaning of 'clear' or 'bright'. It appears in words related to clarity, explanation and making something understandable or evident. Understanding this root helps students recognise a family of terms commonly used in academic and formal writing. This module explores six Academic Vocab words alongside three further examples in the Word Families section.
Word Families
These three word-family examples show how -clar- carries the idea of 'clear' into more complex words. Notice how the shared root can help you unlock meaning and use each word more accurately in academic writing.
clarify
/ˈklærɪfaɪ/
clar‑i‑fy
verb | [clarify – clarified – clarified]
To make something clearer and easier to understand; to remove confusion or ambiguity.
Word Breakdown: -clar- (root meaning 'clear' or 'bright') + -ify (suffix meaning 'to make' or 'to cause to become')
Example: The researcher clarified the distinction between correlation and causation before presenting the findings.
Synonyms: explain, clear up, illuminate
Collocations: clarify the point, clarify the meaning, clarify the distinction
declaration
/ˌdɛkləˈreɪʃən/
dec‑la‑ra‑tion
noun
A formal or public announcement of a position, fact or intention.
Word Breakdown: de- (prefix intensifying the action) + -clar- (root meaning 'clear') + -ation (suffix forming a noun)
Example: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms the right to self-determination.
Synonyms: announcement, proclamation, statement
Collocations: formal declaration, public declaration, make a declaration
clarity
/ˈklærɪti/
clar‑i‑ty
noun
The quality of being clear, easy to understand, or free from confusion or ambiguity.
Word Breakdown: -clar- (root meaning 'clear' or 'bright') + -ity (suffix meaning 'the state or quality of')
Example: One hallmark of effective academic writing is clarity — every sentence should earn its place and advance the argument.
Synonyms: clearness, precision, transparency
Collocations: achieve clarity, lack of clarity, write with clarity
Academic Vocab
marginalise
/ˈmɑːdʒɪnəlaɪz/
mar‑gin‑al‑ise
verb | [marginalise – marginalised – marginalised]
To treat a person or group as insignificant or powerless; to push them to the edges of social, political or cultural life.
Word family: marginalisation (n.), marginalised (adj.)
Example: When institutional structures consistently marginalise certain communities, the resulting inequality is systemic rather than incidental.
Synonyms: exclude, sideline, silence
Collocations: marginalise communities, marginalise voices, historically marginalised
exclude
/ɪkˈskluːd/
ex‑clude
verb | [exclude – excluded – excluded]
To prevent someone or something from being included or considered; to deliberately leave out.
Word Breakdown: ex- (prefix meaning 'out' or 'away from')
Word family: exclusion (n.), exclusive (adj.)
Example: The study found that many policy decisions effectively excluded the voices of those most directly affected.
Synonyms: omit, leave out, shut out
Collocations: exclude from, systematically exclude, exclude consideration
silence
/ˈsaɪləns/
si‑lence
verb | [silence – silenced – silenced]
To cause someone or something to become quiet or stop expressing an opinion; to suppress a voice.
Word family: silencing (n.), silent (adj.)
Example: The dominant discourse often serves to silence perspectives that challenge the status quo.
Synonyms: suppress, mute, shut down
Collocations: silence dissent, silence voices, be silenced
suppress
/səˈprɛs/
sup‑press
verb | [suppress – suppressed – suppressed]
To prevent something from being expressed, published or known; to forcibly put down or restrain.
Word family: suppression (n.), suppressed (adj.)
Example: Authoritarian regimes routinely suppress critical journalism in order to maintain control of the public narrative.
Synonyms: silence, restrain, quash
Collocations: suppress evidence, suppress voices, suppress information
displace
/dɪsˈpleɪs/
dis‑place
verb | [displace – displaced – displaced]
To remove someone or something from their usual or rightful position.
Word family: displacement (n.)
Example: When dominant cultural narratives displace indigenous perspectives, the result is an impoverished understanding of history.
Synonyms: replace, remove, push out
Collocations: displace communities, displace narratives, displace identity
this marginalises
/ðɪs ˈmɑːdʒɪnəlaɪzɪz/
this mar‑gin‑al‑is‑es
phrase
Used in academic writing to attribute the marginalisation of a person, group or idea to a specific practice, text or structure.
Example: The curriculum focuses almost exclusively on European literary traditions; this marginalises the significant body of Indigenous Australian literature.
Synonyms: this excludes, this silences, this sidelines
Collocations: this marginalises the voices of, this marginalises communities, this further marginalises
Confusing Words
compare to vs compare with
These two phrases both involve making comparisons, but they signal different types of comparison and are not interchangeable.
- compare to — compare to used to point out similarities between two things that are fundamentally different in kind — it highlights resemblance across different categories; for example, ‘She compared the school system to a conveyor belt, suggesting it processes students rather than developing them.’
- compare with — compare with used to examine both similarities and differences between two things of the same kind — it implies a more balanced, analytical comparison; for example, ‘When you compare the Australian healthcare system with the Canadian model, both strengths and limitations become apparent.’
Memory rule: A useful rule: 'compare to' makes an analogy or signals similarity (things of different types); 'compare with' conducts a balanced analysis (things of the same type). In analytical writing, 'compare with' is more common because it implies genuine examination of both similarities and differences.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Opens in a new window.