Forms: 4–5 clarte, clarete, clarite, 5 claretee, 6–7 claritie, 6– clarity. [Originally ME. clarté, a. OF. clarté:—L. clāritāt-em clearness, f. clār-us clear. This early form has been changed in two directions: first by assimilation to clere, cleer, CLEAR, it became clerté, cleerte, CLERETE (cf. surety), which became obs. in 16th c.; secondly under influence of the Lat. original, it became clarité, claritie, clarity (cf. purity, security, etc.); this became almost obs. by 1700, but has been revived by many modern writers, and is now frequent in sense 4.]
† 1. Brightness, luster, brilliancy, splendor. Obs. (An exceedingly common sense in 17th c.)
c. 1400. Maundev., xxii. 239. A charboncle … that in the nyght ȝeveth … gret clarte and schynynge.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 85. As light as it had ben daye by the clarte and resplendour of torches.
1609. Bible (Douay), Isa. xxx. comm., This claritie of sunne and moone.
1627. Feltham, Resolves, II. xxvi. Wks. (1677), 213. The light and clarity of the enlivening Sun.
1691–8. Norris, Pract. Disc., 177. The Angelical Clarity and Divine Temper of our Resurrection Body.
† b. with pl. Obs.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph., V. lvii. 74. Sols radiant Fulgence in meridian Skies Seem’d Shade unto those Clarities.
† c. fig. ‘Light.’ Obs.
1657. Jer. Taylor, Meas. Friendship (1678), 18. Friendship is … the Counsellor of our doubts, the Clarity of our minds.
† 2. Glory, divine luster. Obs.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 29554 (Cott. Galba). Till his clarete he vs ken, thurgh prayers of his moder.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 405. Y wole þat þei be þere þat Y am, þat þei see my clarite which þou hast ȝovun me.
1549. Bp. Hooper, Decl. 10 Commandm., vii. Wks. (1843–52), 344. The clarity and brightness of the Son of Man coming to judgment.
1675. Traherne, Chr. Ethics, xxvi. 411. The further regions of clarity and glory.
† 3. Illustrious quality; luster of renown. Obs.
1616. Bullokar, Claritie. Noblenesse.
1679. Hobbes, Behemoth (1840), 242. Obscure men that could receive no clarity but from the flame of the state.
4. Clearness: in various current uses; e.g., of color, sky, atmosphere, sight, intellect, judgment, conscience, style.
1616. Bullokar, Claritie.… cleerenesse.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. Weakly deluded in the clarity of their understanding.
1650. H. Brooke, Conserv. Health, 57. Clarity of the Aire.
1651. Fuller, Abel Rediv., Abbot (1867), II. 304. Illustrated by the nitour and clarity of a perspicuous style.
1657. Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 736. It augments the clarity of the eye.
1697. Verdicts conc. Virgil & Homer, vi. 24. Clarty being the first Vertue of Eloquence … good Sense requires that we think always clearly.
1719. F. Hauksbee, Phys.-Mech. Exper., v. (ed. 2), 171. The uniform Clarity and Perspicuity of the Figure.
1859. Sala, Tw. round Clock (1861), 99. You marvel at the force, the clarity, the perspicuity of the grand old man.
1869. Browning, Ring & Bk., X. 1646. The very clarity of heaven.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, lxix. 4. A cherish’d gem’s clarity.
