blacklist

1 of 2

noun

black·​list ˈblak-ˌlist How to pronounce blacklist (audio)
1
: a list of persons who are disapproved of or are to be punished or boycotted
2
: a list of banned or excluded things of disreputable character
a domain-name blacklist
… helped the government keep marijuana on the blacklist.Cynthia Cotts

blacklist

2 of 2

verb

blacklisted; blacklisting; blacklists

transitive verb

: to put on a blacklist
blacklister noun

Example Sentences

Noun He's on the FBI's blacklist. The rental company has created a blacklist of bad drivers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The suspension of Russia comes after a campaign by the Ukrainian Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko for FATF to add Russia to what is informally known as the FATF blacklist, saying Russia hasn’t been complying with the organization’s standards. Mengqi Sun, WSJ, 24 Feb. 2023 Bankman-Fried said the blacklist allegations are false. Byluisa Beltran, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2022 The refusal to add the IRGC to the terror blacklist is shameful but not surprising. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 24 Jan. 2023 The blanket export restriction applies to companies or organizations on a blacklist known as the Entity List, which prohibits sales without prior U.S. government permission to entities deemed a risk to national security. Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2022 The State Department also placed 531 members of the Russian military on a travel blacklist for actions that threaten or violate the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. Matthew Lee, ajc, 26 Jan. 2023 In late December, the Biden administration added Iran’s general prosecutor, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, to its blacklist for human rights abuses. Miriam Berger, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Jan. 2023 And SenseTime was also put on a Treasury blacklist at the end of 2021, which really barred U.S. investors from investing in it. CBS News, 4 Jan. 2023 Texas has put the firm on a blacklist, barring it from managing its pensions and other public funds, claiming that BlackRock is biased against fossil fuel companies. Tim Mcdonnell, Quartz, 8 Dec. 2022
Verb
In one attempt to avoid snarling Russian exports, the EU watered down a plan to blacklist vessels that violate the cap. Anna Hirtenstein, WSJ, 27 Nov. 2022 The Biden administration’s move to blacklist NSO and Candiru has had a financial impact. Matina Stevis-gridneff, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2022 The move follows a U.S. decision last year to blacklist NSO over allegations that its surveillance software, called Pegasus, has been used inappropriately. Dov Lieber, WSJ, 21 Aug. 2022 Dozens of content creators on the video platform are pushing fellow influencers to blacklist the e-commerce company as a way to push for higher pay and working conditions for warehouse workers. Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2022 For years, governments around the world used Israeli company NSO Group’s software to spy on journalists, activists and dissidents, prompting the U.S. to blacklist it. Thomas Grove, WSJ, 29 Jan. 2022 The move follows a recent U.S. decision to blacklist the company over allegations that NSO’s surveillance software, called Pegasus, has been used inappropriately. Dov Lieber, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2021 The European Union announced plans to blacklist Usmanov and prohibit his travel throughout the continent as part of the sanctions against Russian oligarchs amid the invasion of Ukraine. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2022 Senior Senate Republicans in September had threatened to indefinitely hold up the nominations of five top Treasury officials if the Biden administration didn’t blacklist the firm managing Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with Germany. David Smagalla, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2021 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blacklist was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near blacklist

Cite this Entry

“Blacklist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blacklist. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

blacklist

noun
black·​list
ˈblak-ˌlist
: a list of persons who are disapproved of and are to be punished
blacklist verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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