free and clear
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.10 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
In a condition of lawful outright ownership, without restrictions or encumbrances.
adj
Possessing such lawful outright ownership.
Example Sentences
- "[T]hey cannot at once name a dozen in the town who own their farms free and clear."
- "I have been trying to get a free and clear title to the land for a client of mine."
- "The will might stipulate, for example, that the heir receive the home, free and clear, Ms. Wheatley-Liss said, which may mean that the executor will be directed to sell stocks, bonds or other assets in the estate to pay off the mortgage."
- "I made the last payment on the house today. . . . We’re free and clear."
- "Though standard in real estate transactions, the concept of title insurance, which guarantees that a seller is the free and clear owner, has been resisted by the art world."