nigritude

N1I1G2R1I1T1U1D2E1

noun

Blackness; the state of being black.

OriginLatin nigritūdō →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounnigritude (countable and uncountable, plural nigritudes)

plural nigritudes

  1. countableuncountablepotentially offensiveBlackness; the state of being black.

    I like to meet a sweep—understand me—not a grown sweeper—old chimney-sweepers are by no means attractive—but one of those tender novices, blooming through their first nigritude, […]

    1823, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], “The Praise of Chimney-Sweepers”, in Elia. Essays which have Appeared under that Signature in The London Magazine, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 249

Origin

  1. Latinnigritūdō
  2. Englishnigritude

From Latin nigritūdō, from niger (“black”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

nigritude. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nigritude

MLA

“nigritude.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nigritude. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nigritude,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nigritude.

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