What is the meaning of clear and present danger?

noun

  • A standard for judging when freedom of speech can be abridged.
    • usage: "no one has a right to shout `fire' in a crowded theater when there is no fire because such an action would pose a clear and present danger to public safety"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). clear and present danger. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/clear_and_present_danger/definitions/1247259
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "clear and present danger" http://smartdefine.org/clear_and_present_danger/definitions/1247259 (accessed September 21, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, clear and present danger, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/clear_and_present_danger/definitions/1247259>.
MLAWordNet. "clear and present danger" 23 October 2010. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/clear_and_present_danger/definitions/1247259>