A constitutional standard for determining whether a person's First Amendment's guarantee of free speech may be curtailed.

a standard for judging when freedom of speech can be abridged; "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"

Conditions relating to public safety that may validate the use of deadly force by police.

The "clear and present danger" doctrine was promulgated in the Supreme Court's ruling in "Schenck v. U.S." in 1919. It upheld the constitutionality of the wartime Espionage Act and endorsed limited government repression of free speech in wartime.

Speech that poses a "clear and present danger" to the public or government will not be protected under the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech. The classic example is that shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theatre is not protected speech.

Clear and Present Danger is a 1994 film directed by Phillip Noyce, based on the book of the same name by Tom Clancy.