black belt

American  

[blak belt] / ˈblæk ˌbɛlt /

noun

1. Martial Arts.

   1. a black cloth waistband conferred upon a participant in one of the martial arts, as judo or karate, to indicate a degree of expertise of the highest rank.

   2. a person who has obtained such rank

   3. the rank itself.

2. a person proficient in some particular skill or endeavor; expert.

3. (initial capital letters) a narrow belt of dark-colored, calcareous soils in central Alabama and Mississippi highly adapted to agriculture, especially the growing of cotton.

4. (initial capital letters) the area of a city or region inhabited primarily by Black people.

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black belt British  

noun

1. martial arts

   1. a black belt worn by an instructor or expert competitor in the dan grades, usually from first to fifth dan

   2. a person entitled to wear this

2. a region of the southern US extending from Georgia across central Alabama and Mississippi, in which the population contains a large number of Black people: also noted for its fertile black soil

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Other Word Forms

• black-belt adjective

Etymology

Origin of black belt

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

One of America’s most famous martial artists, and certainly the most frequently memed, Norris leveraged his black belt skills to build a successful television and film career.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Ver is clean-cut and fit — he has a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

He’s a charming Aussie surfer who plays videogames and has a black belt in jujitsu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 5, 2025

The heavily muscled man in street clothes is Jeremy Clark, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who the players all call the fight coach.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2025

Cagney was telling some detective that Lacey had “a black belt in karate-mouth” right as Aunt Ruth walked into the room.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth