blackness

B2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈblæknəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #23403

Meanings

1

noun
The state or quality of being black in colour.

The blackness of outer space comes from the lack of anything to reflect light rather than the absence of light.
2

noun
Any space that such colour pervades.

Out of the blackness came some flickers of light.
3

noun
The quality of being evil or dismal.

She had seen so much of the blacker side of human nature that blackness no longer startled her as it should do.
4

noun
The state of being of African descent.

“Black Panther” is a stunning visual and cultural achievement that takes superhero cinema where it’s never gone before by not being afraid to embrace its blackness.

Thesaurus

Opposites

blacklessnesswhiteness

Word family

Derived forms antiblacknesspitch-blacknesspostblacknessproblackness

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

pitch blackness
complete darkness in which nothing can be seen

Noun + noun

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English blaknesse, equivalent to black + -ness. Sense 5 most likely both originated from the masque The Masque of Blackness by Ben Jonson and later changed to its current positive sense.

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# blackness

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈblæknəs/
**Frequency rank:** 23403

## Meanings
1. The state or quality of being black in colour.
2. Any space that such colour pervades.
3. The quality of being evil or dismal.
4. The state of being of African descent.

## Examples
- The blackness of outer space comes from the lack of anything to reflect light rather than the absence of light.
- Out of the blackness came some flickers of light.
- She had seen so much of the blacker side of human nature that blackness no longer startled her as it should do.
- “Black Panther” is a stunning visual and cultural achievement that takes superhero cinema where it’s never gone before by not being afraid to embrace its blackness.

## Antonyms
- blacklessness
- whiteness

## Derived Forms
- antiblackness
- pitch-blackness
- postblackness
- problackness

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English blaknesse, equivalent to black + -ness. Sense 5 most likely both originated from the masque The Masque of Blackness by Ben Jonson and later changed to its current positive sense.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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