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• black and white
  black and white

  noun

  black.
• black-and-white
  black-and-white

  adjective

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

black and white

¹ American  

noun

1. black.

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black-and-white ² American  

[blak-uhn-hwahyt, -wahyt] / ˈblæk ənˈʰwaɪt, -ˈwaɪt /

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.

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black-and-white British  

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. 1. in print or writing

   2. in extremes

      he always saw things in black and white

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black and white Idioms  

1. A monochromatic picture, drawing, television image, computer monitor, or film, as opposed to one using many colors, as in Photos in black and white fade less than those taken with color film . [Late 1800s]

2. Also, black or white . Involving a very clear distinction, without any gradations. For example, He tended to view everything as a black and white issue—it was either right or wrong—whereas his partner always found gray areas . This usage is based on the association of black with evil and white with virtue, which dates back at least 2,000 years. [Early 1800s] Also see gray area .

3. in black and white . Written down or in print, and therefore official. For example, The terms of our agreement were spelled out in black and white, so there should be no question about it . This term alludes to black ink or print on white paper. Shakespeare used it in Much Ado about Nothing (5:1). [Late 1500s]

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Etymology

Origin of black-and-white

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

black and white black-and-white

The victim: a teensy black and white kitten named Suki.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Often, it helps to see a visual representation of your finances in black and white so you can deal with the hard facts, rather than the swirl of anxiety that accompanies them.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

When you’re talking about this printer, there is no black and white.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

Go, like chess, is a strategy game with black and white pieces that unfolds one move at a time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

The next day, hundreds of black and white protesters met on the road where Meredith had fallen.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

It includes two cameras that capture detailed black-and-white images and another camera that collects moderate-resolution multispectral images.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

In 2011, “The Artist,” a delightful dialogue-free black-and-white feature, won Oscars for best picture, best director and best actor.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

The department announced last month it was installing the Rumbler in a few black-and-white vehicles before a larger expansion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

It contains a black-and-white photo of Velvet Underground musician John Cale, fashion heavyweight Marc Jacobs, and film director Martin Scorsese.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

With your ticket in hand, you follow a continuous line of patrons into the circus, watching the rhythmic motion of the black-and-white clock as you wait.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

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