Whiteness Meaning
/ˈwaɪtnəs/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe state or quality of being white (all senses).
nounThe quality of being white (in the racial sense).
Sentence Examples
The whiteness of the lily is a symbol of purity.
Tom admired the pearly whiteness of the fabric.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of the freshly fallen snow was blinding to look at.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the clouds was a beautiful contrast against the deep blue of the sky earlier this very sunny morning today.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English whitenesse, whitnesse, whytnesse, hwitnesse, from Old English hwītnes (“whiteness”), equivalent to white + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[Snow] may […] exchange its whiteness for yellowness, without losing its right to be called snow; […]"
— 1666, Robert Boyle, Origin of Forms and Qualities according to the Corpuscular Philosophy:
"As a white body, I have not had to face my whiteness; insofar as the world is oriented around whiteness, I rarely have to turn my attention back onto myself, as do the black and brown bodies that are “stopped” or “held up” for being out of place […]"
— 2013, Shelley M. Park, Mothering Queerly, Queering Motherhood, page 42:
"Despite this criticism, this check for whiteness of a time series enjoys much popularity as it is very easy to carry out."
— 2005, Helmut Lütkepohl, New Introduction to Multiple Time Series Analysis, page 161:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of the freshly fallen snow was blinding to look at.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the clouds was a beautiful contrast against the deep blue of the sky earlier this very sunny morning today.