lily-white

American  

[lil-ee-hwahyt, -wahyt, lil-ee-hwahyt, -wahyt] / ˈlɪl iˈʰwaɪt, -ˈwaɪt, ˈlɪl iˌʰwaɪt, -ˌwaɪt /

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.

lily-white British  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of lily-white

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

Example Sentences

It’s a beautiful, sometimes shocking NC-17 story, kept out of the lily-white, upper crust canon of literature — until now.

From Washington Post

The dress was described thusly: “a custom lily-white silk charmeuse empire waist column gown accented with a sculpted neckline, an exposed bra strap closure, and a plunging back.”

From Los Angeles Times

“The whole task was to bring an awareness to the segregated, lily-white art world,” Ms. O’Grady explained.

From New York Times

Margaret presides over a crumbling manor whose décor is dominated by portraits of lily-white colonialists from centuries past.

From New York Times

Historically, Disney has been late to break its streak of lily-white content, but the Prouds brought a Black family to the channel.

From New York Times

Related Words

• clean
• decent
• fresh
• good
• honest
• true