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black

adjective \ ˈblak \
|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Definition of black

1 a : of the color black (see 2black 2)
  • a black sweater
  • a black dog
  • as black as coal
b (1) : very dark in color
  • his face was black with rage
(2) : having a very deep or low register (see 1register 4b)
  • a bass with a black voice
(3) : heavy, serious
  • the play was a black intrigue
2 a : having dark skin, hair, and eyes : swarthy
  • the black Irish
b or Black
(1) : of or relating to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skin
  • black Americans
(2) : of or relating to the African American people or their culture
  • black literature
  • a black college
  • Black pride
  • Black studies
(3) : typical or representative of the most readily perceived characteristics of black culture
  • trying to sound black
3 : dressed in black (see 2black 2)
  • playing for the black team
4 : dirty, soiled
  • hands black with grime
5 a : characterized by the absence of light
  • a black night
b : reflecting or transmitting little or no light
  • black water
c : served without milk or cream
  • black coffee
6 a : thoroughly sinister or evil : wicked
  • a black deed
b : indicative of condemnation or discredit
  • got a black mark for being late
7 : connected with or invoking the supernatural and especially the devil
  • black magic
  • the black arts
8 a : very sad, gloomy, or calamitous
  • black despair
b : marked by the occurrence of disaster
  • black Friday
9 : characterized by hostility or angry discontent : sullen
  • black resentment filled his heart
10 chiefly British : subject to boycott by trade-union members as employing or favoring nonunion workers or as operating under conditions considered unfair by the trade union
  • a ship that was declared black by the union
11 a of propaganda : conducted so as to appear to originate within an enemy country and designed to weaken enemy morale
  • disseminating black propaganda
b : characterized by or connected with the use of black propaganda
  • black radio
12 : characterized by grim, distorted, or grotesque satire
  • black humor
13 : of or relating to covert intelligence operations
  • black government programs
—

blackish

play \ˈbla-kish\ adjective
—

blackly

adverb
—

blackness

noun

See black defined for English-language learners

See black defined for kids

Examples of black in a Sentence

  1. a little black dress blends into the night very well

Recent Examples of black from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of black

Middle English blak, from Old English blæc; akin to Old High German blah black, and probably to Latin flagrare to burn, Greek phlegein

black Synonyms

Synonyms

bad, dark, evil, immoral, iniquitous, nefarious, rotten, sinful, unethical, unlawful, unrighteous, unsavory, vicious, vile, villainous, wicked, wrong;

Antonyms

decent, ethical, good, honest, honorable, just, moral, right, righteous, sublime, upright, virtuous;

Near Antonyms

elevated, high, high-minded, law-abiding, legitimate, lofty, noble, principled, reputable, scrupulous;

allowed, authorized, legal, licensed, permissible, permitted;

approved, endorsed (also indorsed), sanctioned;

abetted, encouraged, promoted, supported;

clean, correct, decent, decorous, exemplary, proper, seemly;

blameless, commendable, creditable, guiltless, legitimate;

chaste, immaculate, incorruptible, innocent, inoffensive, irreproachable, lily-white, perfect, pure, spotless, squeaky-clean, uncorrupted, unerring, unfallen, unobjectionable, venerable, white, wholesome;

esteemed, respected, upstanding, worthy;

Related Words

base, contemptible, despicable, dirty, disreputable, evil-minded, ignoble, ill, infernal, low, mean, snide, sordid;

atrocious, cruel, infamous, nasty;

blamable, blameworthy, censurable, objectionable, obscene, offensive, reprehensible;

corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, libertine, loose, low-minded, perverted, reprobate, sick, unhealthy;

cursed (also curst), cussed, defiling, noxious, pernicious, pestilential, ugly, ungodly, unwholesome;

banned, barred, condemned, discouraged, forbidden, illegal, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, unauthorized, unclean;

disallowed;

execrable, lousy, miserable, wretched;

errant, erring, fallen, unprincipled, unscrupulous;

improper, incorrect, indecent, indecorous, naughty, unbecoming, unseemly, vulgar;

dishonest, dishonorable;

2

black

noun

Definition of black

1 : a pigment or dye of the color black : a black pigment or dye; especially : one consisting largely of carbon
2 : the achromatic (see achromatic 3) color of least lightness characteristically perceived to belong to objects that neither reflect nor transmit light
  • walls painted in black
3 : something that is black: such as
a : black clothing
  • looks good in black
b : a black animal (such as a horse)
c baseball : the narrow, black edge of home plate
  • a pitch on the black [=a pitch that crosses over the very edge of home plate]
4 a : a person belonging to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skin
b : african american
  • a position supported by both blacks and whites
  • blacks and other people of color
5 in board games : the pieces of a dark color in a board game for two players (such as chess)
  • black moves second
6 : total or nearly total absence of light
  • the black of night
7 : the condition of making a profit —usually used with the
  • operating in the black
 — compare red

See black defined for English-language learners

Examples of black in a Sentence

  1. The wall was painted in black.

  2. a mixture of grays and blacks

  3. She was dressed in black.

Recent Examples of black from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of black

see 1black

black Synonyms

Synonyms

blackness, candlelight, dark, darkness, dusk, gloaming, gloom, murk, night, semidarkness, shade, shadows, twilight, umbra;

Antonyms

blaze, brightness, brilliance, day, daylight, glare, glow, light, lightness;

Near Antonyms

moonlight, starlight, sunlight;

effulgence, radiance, radiancy, shine, sunshine;

incandescence, luminance, luminescence, luminosity, luminousness;

Related Words

midnight;

blackout, brownout, dimout;

shadiness, umbrage;

dullness (also dulness), somberness;

cloudiness, fogginess, haziness, mistiness, murkiness;

dimness, faintness, gloominess, grayness, paleness;

half-light;

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

3

black

verb

Definition of black

blacked; blacking; blacks
intransitive verb
: to become black (see 1black)
transitive verb
1 : to make black
  • blacked his boots
2 chiefly British : to declare (something, such as a business or industry) subject to boycott by trade-union members

See black defined for English-language learners

Examples of black in a Sentence

  1. He blacked his boots with polish.

  2. Labor union members have blacked the company.

Recent Examples of black from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'black.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of black

see 1black

Black

biographical name \ ˈblak \

Definition of Black

Hugo LaFayette 1886–1971 American jurist and politician

Black

biographical name

Definition of Black

Sir James Whyte 1924–2010 British pharmacologist

Black

geographical name

Definition of Black

1 river 101 miles (162 kilometers) long in east central Louisiana flowing south into the Red River
2 or in China Amo play \ˈä-ˈmō\ or in Vietnam Da play \ˈdä\ river 500 miles (805 kilometers) long in southeastern Asia rising in central Yunnan, China, and flowing southeast to the Red River in northern Vietnam

Financial Definition of BLACK

black
noun

What It Is

Black is slang for profit. Profit, also called net income, is the amount remaining after all costs, depreciation, interest, taxes, and other expenses have been deducted from total sales. Profit is also referred to as the bottom line, net profit, or net earnings. The formula for profit is:

Total Sales - Total Expenses = Profit

Note that preferred stock dividends are typically included in the traditional net income calculation, but common stock dividends are not.

How It Works

Here is some information about Company XYZ for last year:

Using the formula and the information above, we can calculate that Company XYZ's profit was:

$1,000,000 - $500,000 - $300,000 - $100,000 - $5,000 + $1,000 - $10,000 - $10,000 = $76,000

This means that Company XYZ made $76,000 of profit last year. It was “in the black.”

Why It Matters

Philosophically speaking, being in the black is what motivates industry, entrepreneurship, and innovation. It is the very thing that enables people to feed themselves, clothe their families, create jobs, and set money aside for the future. It is not a vice, but rather an incentive to dream, take risks, and try harder. As Adam Smith, the founder of modern economics, put it, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.”

In the retail industry, companies often don’t become profitable until the fourth quarter, when Christmas shopping begins. This is the source of the term “Black Friday.”

Source: Investing Answers

Phrases Related to BLACK

Related Phrases

BLACK Defined for English Language Learners

black

adjective

Definition of black for English Language Learners

  • : having the very dark color of coal or the night sky

  • : very dark because there is no light

  • : of or relating to a race of people who have dark skin and who come originally from Africa

black

noun

Definition of black for English Language Learners

  • : the dark color of coal or the night sky

  • : black clothing

  • : a person belonging to a race of people who have dark skin : a black person

black

verb

Definition of black for English Language Learners

  • : to make (something) black

  • : to refuse to work for or with (a business, employer, etc.) or to buy (goods, services, etc.)

BLACK Defined for Kids

1

black

adjective \ ˈblak \

Definition of black for Students

blacker; blackest
1 : of the color of coal : colored black
2 : very dark
  • a black night
3 often capitalized : of or relating to any peoples having dark skin and especially any of the original peoples of Africa south of the Sahara
4 : of or relating to Americans having ancestors from Africa south of the Sahara
5 : wicked 1
  • a black deed
6 : very sad or gloomy
  • in a black mood
7 : unfriendly 1
  • a black look
—

blackish

adjective
—

blackness

noun
2

black

noun

Definition of black for Students

1 : the color of coal : the opposite of white
2 : black clothing
  • He is dressed in black.
3 : a person belonging to a race of people having dark skin
4 : an American having black African ancestors : african-american
5 : total or near total darkness
  • the black of night
6 : the condition of making a profit
  • The company is in the black.
3

black

verb

Definition of black for Students

blacked; blacking
: blacken 1
— black out
: to lose consciousness or the ability to see for a short time

Learn More about black

  1. See words that rhyme with black Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for black Spanish Central: Translation of black Nglish: Translation of black for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of black for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about black

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