blackout

American  

[blak-out] / ˈblækˌaʊt /

noun

blackouts plural

1. the extinguishing or concealment of all visible lights in a city, military post, etc., usually as a precaution against air raids.

2. a period during a massive power failure when the lack of electricity for illumination results in utter darkness except from emergency sources, as candles.

3. Theater.

   1. the extinguishing of all stage lights, as in closing a vaudeville skit or separating the scenes of a play.

   2. Also called blackout skit.  a skit ending in a blackout.

4. Pathology.

   1. temporary loss of consciousness or vision.

      She suffered a blackout from the blow on the head.

   2. a period of total memory loss, as one induced by an accident or prolonged alcoholic drinking.

      The patient cannot account for the bizarre things he did during his blackout.

5. a brief, passing lapse of memory.

   An actor may have an occasional blackout and forget a line or two.

6. complete stoppage of a communications medium, as by a strike, catastrophe, electrical storm, etc.: a radio blackout.

   a newspaper blackout;

   a radio blackout.

7. a stoppage, suppression, or obliteration.

   a news blackout.

8. a period during which a special sales offer, fare rate, or other bargain is not available.

   The airline's discount on fares does not apply during the Christmas week blackout.

9. Radio and Television. a prohibition that is imposed on the broadcasting of an event and has the purpose of encouraging or ensuring ticket sales.

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blackout British  

/ ˈblækaʊt /

noun

1. the extinguishing or hiding of all artificial light, esp in a city visible to an enemy attack from the air

2. a momentary loss of consciousness, vision, or memory

3. a temporary electrical power failure or cut

4. electronics a temporary loss of sensitivity in a valve following a short strong pulse

5. a temporary loss of radio communications between a spacecraft and earth, esp on re-entry into the earth's atmosphere

6. the suspension of radio or television broadcasting, as by a strike or for political reasons

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verb

1. (tr) to obliterate or extinguish (lights)

2. (tr) to create a blackout in (a city etc)

3. (intr) to lose vision, consciousness, or memory temporarily

4. (tr, adverb) to stop (news, a television programme) from being released or broadcast

blackout Cultural  

1. The complete loss of electrical power in a particular area. Blackouts can result from a natural disaster, a manmade catastrophe, or simply from an excess of energy demand over supply. (Compare brownout.)

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Discover More

Rolling blackouts to match supply and demand have become increasingly common in the United States.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• blackouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of blackout

First recorded in 1910–15; noun use of verb phrase black out

Explanation

A blackout is a sudden loss of electricity in a town or city. If you experience a blackout, it's helpful to have flashlights and candles handy. During a war or an energy crisis, a city may impose a blackout on its citizens, requiring them to turn off all lights and, during bombing raids, to cover windows and limit activity. There is also a figurative kind of blackout, when a government suppresses information deliberately, not allowing newspapers and TV stations to report what's really happening. Someone who faints or passes out experiences yet another kind of blackout, a loss of consciousness.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blackout blackouts

Cuba's power grid failed for the third time in less than 10 days, sparking another nationwide blackout, the national electricity company said Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Wegner on Friday admitted that his "communication" about the day had been "rubbish" but he defended the city's response to the blackout.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

A suspected accident by contractors carrying out sewer repair work has resulted in an internet and phone line blackout for about 3,000 customers in Maghull, Merseyside.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Quarter-end rebalancing, the beginning of the corporate-buyback blackout period and high levels of leverage supporting a frothy stock market come to mind, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Bep and Miep went grocery shopping with our ration coupons, Father worked on our blackout screens, we scrubbed the kitchen floor, and were once again busy from sunup to sundown.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

In both of last week's blackouts, it took more than 24 hours to restore power across the island of 9.6 million people, a process made slower and more complex by fuel shortages.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

The risk of blackouts is still considered small.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

All obstacles we have described—from the opinion-release blackouts to the ongoing mysteries of judicial travel to the unsigned midnight orders on the shadow docket—are avoidable.

From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026

Wednesday, causing widespread electrical blackouts and cutoffs of gas supplies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

During blackouts, gang members also painted anti-Nazi slogans on ruined walls: “Down with Hitler!”

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Related Words

• collapse