blackface

black·face
B3L1A1C3K5F4A1C3E1
/ˈblækˌfeɪs/

noun

The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.

Similar
boldface
OriginEnglish face ← Middle English face ← Old French face →
UncommonScrabble 22
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Meanings

blackface1

nounblackface (countable and uncountable, plural blackfaces)

plural blackfaces · alternative Blackface

  1. uncountableThe practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.

    Soberano hit back at Instagram comments, writing, "This is not any form of blackface." But has since backtracked.

    2019, Farah Andrews, “Filipina Actress Liza Soberano Slammed for Mel B 'Blackface'”, in The National News
  2. countableA sheep of the Scottish Blackface breed.
  3. countableuncountablemediaSynonym of boldface.

    The laboratory procedure in the most important tests and methods is printed in blackface type for convenience of reference.

    1917, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Journal - Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania, →OCLC

    Synonyms: boldface

Blackface2

nounBlackface (countable and uncountable, plural Blackfaces)

plural Blackfaces

  1. countableuncountableAlternative letter-case form of blackface.

    There is no excuse for donning Blackface.

    2020 June 17, Britt Hayes, “Netflix removes episode of W/ Bob & David featuring Blackface sketch”, in Newswire, The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 17 Jun 2020

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of boldface.

Similar
boldface

Origin

blackface · noun

  1. Proto-Germanic*blakaz
  2. Proto-West Germanic*blak
  3. Old Englishblæc
  4. Middle Englishblak
  5. Englishblack
  6. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁k-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁kyéti
  9. Proto-Italic*θakjō
  10. Proto-Italic*fakjō
  11. Latinfaciō
  12. Latinfaciēs
  13. Late Latinfacia
  14. Old Frenchface
  15. Middle Englishface
  16. Englishface
  17. Englishblackface

From black + face.

Full word history & related roots →

Blackface · noun

From black + face.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

blackface. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blackface

MLA

“blackface.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blackface. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “blackface,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blackface.

Source: blackface on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.