black-and-white

1 of 3

adjective

1
: partly black and partly white in color
2
: being in writing or print
3
: executed in dark pigment on a light background or in light pigment on a dark ground
a black-and-white drawing
4
: monochrome sense 2
black-and-white film
black-and-white television
5
a
: sharply divided into good and evil
b
: evaluating or viewing things as either all good or all bad
black-and-white morality
c
: sharply defined : clear-cut
the truth is not always black-and-white

black-and-white

2 of 3

noun (1)

black and white

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
2
: a drawing or print done in black and white or in monochrome
3
: monochrome reproduction of visual images (as by photography or television)

Examples of black-and-white in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The black-and-white teaser gave a sneak peak of the visuals for the music video. Saba Hamedy, NBC News, 19 Apr. 2024 In Under the Bridge, Reena was described as being in a relationship with the boy in question and wearing his black-and-white Adidas jacket. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024 The back room is anchored by a central DJ booth and decorated in black-and-white photographs of Argentine rock legends. Nora Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024 According to Watson, managing chronic stress (and burnout) isn’t a black-and-white process. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024 The black-and-white logo also lets people’s colorful digital invitations and cards stand out. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024 Aside from their black-and-white pattern, the whales sport grey splotches called saddle patches near their dorsal fin that scientists use to identify individuals. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024 Jessie is talented, serious-minded, with a purist’s preference for black-and-white film. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024 On Monday morning, the bride’s Instagram post, featuring a black-and-white portrait of the happy couple, confirmed it. Isabelle Stillman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
Tanaka, 39, chose a sweet black-and-white shot of the couple smiling together to share alongside his birthday message. Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2023 While most Americans had a TV by the early 1960s, most of those were black-and-white sets. Matt Novak, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 The birds flitted from corner to corner in their cages, quick little sprites with black-and-white breasts and flame-orange beaks. Burkhard Bilger, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023 Natural light pours in from body-length windows, accentuating the black-and-white industrial aesthetic of the salon, which is complimented by colorful street art. Julian E.j. Sorapuru, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Mar. 2023 The Instagram carousel includes several black-and-white photos of Grande wearing white gloves, a polka-dot dress and her iconic ponytail, and Erivo sporting a plaid dress, tall dark boots and hoop earrings. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2023 In the first three black-and-white pictures, Grande and Erivo are wearing very cute outfits, with Grande in a strapless polkadot gown with opera gloves. Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 26 Mar. 2023 Tybee Island, Georgia Grassy sand dunes and a historic black-and-white striped lighthouse bring a quaint coastal feel to Tybee Island, about 18 miles from Savannah. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2023 The nine members’ work is mostly in color but contains some black-and-white pictures. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'black-and-white.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

from a common color scheme for such cars

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1958, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of black-and-white was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near black-and-white

black-and-tan coonhound

black-and-white

black and white

Cite this Entry

“Black-and-white.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-and-white. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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