whitewashing

noun

white·​wash·​ing ˈ(h)wīt-ˌwȯ-shiŋ 

-ˌwä-

: an act or instance of applying whitewash

also : whitewash sense 3

Examples of whitewashing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The whitewashing of his legacy had actually begun before his death. —Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023

In media, whitewashing is when White actors portray non-White characters. —Claire Gillespie, Health, 26 May 2023

Gyllenhaal’s lead role in the film is often cited in conversations about Hollywood whitewashing. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023

For this reason, Thanksgiving also signifies a whitewashing of history and an attempt to deflect from the atrocious harm caused to indigenous groups by European settlers. —Fiona Tapp, Parents, 20 Aug. 2023

Marcos's visit was protested by Filipino Americans over his whitewashing of human rights abuses committed by the government. —Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner, 10 May 2023

Here, cannibalism is a metaphor for the whitewashing of a neighborhood. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2023

The outrage mirrored the whitewashing of casting Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s eponymous 1963 film. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 30 June 2023

On a personal level, whitewashing can have a substantial mental impact. —Claire Gillespie, Health, 26 May 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above