lily-white

[ adjective lil-ee-hwahyt, -wahyt; noun lil-ee-hwahyt, -wahyt ]

adjective

1. white as a lily:

   soft lily-white skin.

2. pure; untouched by corruption or imperfection; above reproach:

   He tries to pass himself off as some sort of lily-white saint, but he's not.

3. designating or pertaining to any faction, organization, or group opposing the inclusion of Black people, especially in political or social life.

   Synonyms: unintegrated, discriminatory, segregated

noun

1. a member of a lily-white organization, especially a member of a former faction of the Republican Party in the South opposed to the inclusion of African Americans in the party or in political life in general. Compare black and tan ( def 3 ).

lily-white

adjective

1. of a pure white

   lily-white skin

2. informal.
   pure; irreproachable
3. informal.
   1. discriminating against Black people

      a lily-white club

   2. racially segregated

Word History and Origins

Origin of lily-white¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English lylie-whyt

Example Sentences

There was something “rich and relevant,” Mr. Sanford said, “that you have this Black judge sentencing this guy — this lily-white guy — to life, whose family has been king for more than 100 years.”

From New York Times

The lily-white patriarchal hierarchy of the British upper class that Meghan has sprung Harry from.

From Los Angeles Times

For many Black and Latino New Haveners, that seemed to be the point; according to a local joke, the initials L.W.T. stood for “lily-white theater.”

From New York Times

Was I buying into the lily-white version of motherhood or disrupting the feed with my presence?

From Washington Post

I paid a visit in recent days to the lily-white town of Mayfield, believed to be near the Great Lakes — were it not entirely imaginary.

From Washington Post