black-and-white

1 of 3

adjective

ˌbla-kən-ˈ(h)wīt 

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)

: squad car

black and white

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: writing, print

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

Other stars in attendance at the Wimbledon Championships were Hugh Grant, Rami Malek, Greta Gerwig and couple Tom Ackerley and Margot Robbie, who dressed up her baby bump in a black-and-white polka dot dress for her first public appearance following the news of her pregnancy. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024

These Democrats see the race in stark, black-and-white terms: Just three states matter — Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. —Axios, 12 July 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

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