black and white

¹

noun

1. black ( def 31 ).

black-and-white

²

[ blak-uhn-hwahyt, -wahyt ]

adjective

1. displaying only black and white tones; without color, as a picture or chart:

   a black-and-white photograph.

2. partly black and partly white; made up of separate areas or design elements of black and white:

   black-and-white shoes.

3. of, relating to, or constituting a two-valued system, as of logic or morality; absolute:

   To those who think in black-and-white terms, a person must be either entirely good or entirely bad.

black-and-white

noun

1. 1. a photograph, picture, sketch, etc, in black, white, and shades of grey rather than in colour
   2. ( as modifier )

      black-and-white film

2. the neutral tones of black, white, and intermediate shades of grey Compare colour
3. in black and white
   1. in print or writing
   2. in extremes

      he always saw things in black and white

Word History and Origins

Origin of black and white¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

“Nothing is ever really lost. Welcome back,” Fox captioned a pair of photos — one, a maternity portrait, and another, a black and white shot of a positive pregnancy test.

From Los Angeles Times

If Harris, the closest woman we had to a bridge between the Black and white vote, couldn’t win in 2024, maybe no Black woman can.

From Slate

The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "Where I once saw the world in colour, I now only see it in black and white."

From BBC

Not only did it produce seven top 10 singles; but it crossed racial barriers, appealing equally to black and white audiences.

From BBC

“He eats cheesesteaks and cheeseburgers… And thick black and white shakes with extra ice cream,” says the chef Lupe Avilez.

From BBC

Related Words

• book
• copy
• edition
• engraving
• lettering
• lithograph
• magazine
• newspaper
• photograph
• stamp
• type
• writing