# crystal clear

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/crystal-clear
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Completely clear (in various senses).

## Examples

- The instructions for the project are crystal clear.
- After the manager explained the new policy, the expectations for the team were crystal clear.
- Despite the complexity of the legal argument, the judge made his final ruling crystal clear to everyone in the courtroom.

## Origin

From Middle English *cristal cleer*, the phrase serves as an emphatic form of *clear* in both its visual and metaphorical senses. The comparison of lucidity to the transparency of quartz crystal dates to the 14th century, paralleling the auditory equivalent *clear as a bell*.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.