blindness

[ blahynd-nis ]

noun

1. the inability to see; the condition of having severely impaired or absolutely no sense of sight:

   Patients are first asked if their blindness is congenital or the result of injury or disease.

2. an unwillingness or inability to perceive or understand; lack of judgment; ignorance:

   Your blindness to this behavior has allowed his anxiety to worsen.

blindness

/ blīnd′nĭs /

1. A lack or impairment of vision in which maximal visual acuity after correction by refractive lenses is one-tenth normal vision or less in the better eye. Blindness can be genetic but is usually acquired as a result of injury, cataracts, or diseases such as glaucoma or diabetes. In Asia and Africa, trachoma is a common infectious cause of blindness.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blindness¹

First recorded before 1000; blind ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

"A lot of people see barriers with blindness and I'm definitely one to break those down."

From BBC

The judges praised McCausland for his "poignant" dance that reflected the experience of blindness.

From BBC

She says under normal civil claim rules, blindness in one eye could lead to compensation of more than £200,000.

From BBC

But “Butterfly” has lasted by reflecting the blindness of its era, reminding us of our own.

From Los Angeles Times

But it's also general public blindness to what happens in this office and the fact that there's no oversight, particularly in rural areas without robust media networks.

From Salon

Related Words

• defect
• myopia