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
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Adjective
Shot by Chris Colls, the series of photographs showcase black-and-white imagery — long synonymous with Lagerfeld’s aesthetic. Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025 Linklater’s black-and-white 35mm movie is neither prequel, sequel, nor remake of Godard’s film. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
Richard Linklater’s French-language black-and-white film Nouvelle Vague, paying tribute to the French New Wave movement, initially looked like one of the strongest candidates for the honor. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025 In the experiments, mice wore electrode helmets while turning a tiny steering wheel to control the movement of a black-and-white striped circle on a screen. Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for black-and-white

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

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Cite this Entry

“Black-and-white.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-and-white. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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