The word 清除 is formed through the semantic combination of its two constituent characters: 清 (qīng), which carries the core meaning of "clear" or "pure", and 除 (chú), which means "to remove" or "to eliminate". Together, they create a compound where the meaning of 除 is conceptually refined and intensified by 清; it’s not just removal, but a removal that results in a state of clearness, thoroughness, or purity, hence conveying the integrated sense of "to clear away", "to cleanse", or "to eradicate completely".