In the Middle Ages, clarion was a noun, the name for a trumpet that could play a melody in clear, shrill tones. The noun has since been used for the sound of a trumpet or a similar sound. By the early 1800s, English speakers also started using the word as an adjective for things that ring as clear as the call of a well-played trumpet. Not surprisingly, clarion ultimately derives (via the Medieval Latin clario-) from clarus, which is the Latin word for "clear." In addition, clarus gave English speakers clarify, clarity, declare ("to make clearly known"), and clear itself.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Jones’ story should be a clarion call for both the right and the left to demand more truth from their storytellers. Morgan Simon, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Standing up to China’s human rights abuses was an early clarion call in Pelosi’s congressional career, prompting many standoffs with U.S. presidents — Democrats and Republicans — over China. Jennifer Haberkorn, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022 But inside the house, Eliahana’s grandfather, Victor M. Cabrales, said the seeming inevitability of another mass shooting was a clarion call for stronger gun restrictions.New York Times, 29 May 2022 But inside the house, Eliahana’s grandfather, Victor M. Cabrales, said the seeming inevitability of another mass shooting was a clarion call for stronger gun restrictions.New York Times, 29 May 2022 First, the People’s Bank of China is still acting cautiously, despite the clarion call to support growth from Premier Li Keqiang and other top officials. Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, 15 June 2022 The very size and scope of this consumer market by itself should be a clarion call for businesses to do more. Jonathan Kaufman, Forbes, 10 June 2022 But inside the house, Eliahana’s grandfather, Victor M. Cabrales, said the seeming inevitability of another mass shooting was a clarion call for stronger gun restrictions.New York Times, 29 May 2022 This is a clarion call for all of us, as human beings, as Americans, to stand up and speak truth to power, to put our own comfortability at risk for something greater, to risk our security for each other. Laura Ly, CNN, 7 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French clairon, from Medieval Latin clarion-, clario, from Latin clarus