black-and-white

[blak-uh n-hwahyt, -wahyt]

See more synonyms for black-and-white on Thesaurus.com

adjective

displaying only black and white tones; without color, as a picture or chart: a black-and-white photograph.
partly black and partly white; made up of separate areas or design elements of black and white: black-and-white shoes.
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.

Origin of black-and-white

First recorded in 1590–1600

black and white

noun

black(def 33).

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for black-and-white

engraving, photograph, stamp, writing, edition, magazine, book, newspaper, copy, type, lettering, lithograph, impression, typeface, impress, face, imprint, indentation, periodical, font

Examples from the Web for black-and-white

Contemporary Examples of black-and-white

This whole thing about a black-and-white culture of knee-jerk reactions is reinforced by television.
James Patterson Goes Full ‘Fahrenheit 451’ With Burning Book Video
William O’Connor
November 25, 2014
Having sufficiently wet ourselves, we viewers are left with a chilling, black-and-white image of blood circling the shower drain.
Sex, Blood and Maroon 5: Pop Culture’s Wounds Run Deep
Lizzie Crocker
October 3, 2014
They have even put a black-and-white picture of Kate Middleton looking stressed and worried on the front cover.
Newsweek's Nonsense "Who'd Be Kate" Survey
Tom Sykes
September 26, 2014
He dropped a few hints about the “small,” “idiosyncratic” black-and-white movie that he will shoot after he finishes Crimson Peak.
Guillermo del Toro on Hardcore Gothic ‘Crimson Peak’ and ‘Pacific Rim 2’
Andrew Romano
July 17, 2014
The cross slowly (and in black-and-white) falls to the ground as we are told that religious freedom is under attack in America.
Rick Santorum’s Hobby Lobby Horror Movie
Dean Obeidallah
July 2, 2014

Historical Examples of black-and-white

There was black-and-white paint on his body; the stripes of the Koshare do not come off easily.
The Trail Book
Mary Austin
He's head and shoulders above the ruck of black-and-white artists.
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens
One of the ladies, dressed in black-and-white check, was immensely stout.
A Spirit in Prison
Robert Hichens
She had taken over some of his black-and-white work herself.
Audrey Craven
May Sinclair
The black-and-white hall was empty and everything was perfectly still.
The Arrow of Gold
Joseph Conrad

British Dictionary definitions for black-and-white

black-and-white

noun

1. a photograph, picture, sketch, etc, in black, white, and shades of grey rather than in colour
2. (as modifier)black-and-white film
the neutral tones of black, white, and intermediate shades of greyCompare colour (def. 2)
in black and white
1. in print or writing
2. in extremeshe always saw things in black and white

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with black-and-white

black and white

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]

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.

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]