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Military & Defence vocabulary · Command, Orders & Communication

Security clearance

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/sɪˈkjʊərəti ˌklɪərəns/nounCommon term

In military & defence, security clearance means: Official approval, given after background checks, that allows a person or company to access classified information up to a certain level.

In Turkish: güvenlik belgesi, kişi güvenlik belgesi, tesis güvenlik belgesi

How it is used

People apply for, hold, are granted or lose a security clearance, and clearances must be renewed. Companies on classified contracts need a facility security clearance as well as cleared staff. Access also depends on the 'need to know'.

Example sentences

  1. You will need a security clearance before you can join the project team.

  2. Her security clearance was renewed after a new background check.

Common collocations

  • hold a security clearance
  • apply for a security clearance
  • facility security clearance
  • clearance level
  • need to know
  • classifiedOfficially marked as secret or sensitive, so that only authorised people with the right security clearance may see or handle it.
  • defence industryThe companies and organisations that design, develop, produce and support military equipment and services for armed forces.
  • personnelThe people who work for an organisation, especially the members of the armed forces, as opposed to its equipment.
  • contractorA company or person that signs a contract to supply goods, build something or provide services, for example to a defence ministry.

More terms: Command, Orders & Communication

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