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
Cite this Entry
“Black-and-white.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-and-white. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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