Meanings
plural whitenesses · alternative Whiteness · alternative obsolete whitenesse
- countableuncountableThe state or quality of being white (all senses).
[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 - capitalizedcountableoftenuncountablehuman sciencesThe quality of being white (in the racial sense).
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 - countableuncountablemathematicsThe quality of being white noise.
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
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black)
nounthe state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong; lacking a knowledge of evil
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishhwītnes“whiteness”
- Middle Englishwhitenesse
- Englishwhiteness
Inherited from Middle English whitenesse, whitnesse, whytnesse, hwitnesse, from Old English hwītnes (“whiteness”), equivalent to white + -ness.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λευκότης
- λευκότης (leukótēs)state of being white
Arabic بَيَاض
- بَيَاض (bayāḍ)state of being white
Bengali সফেদী
- সফেদী (śophedi)state of being white
Bulgarian белота, бледност
- белота (belota)state of being white
- бледност (blednost)state of being white
Catalan blancor, blancúria
- blancorstate of being white
- blancúriastate of being white
- alborstate of being white
Dutch witheid, blankheid
- witheidstate of being white
- blankheidquality of being white
- witheidquality of being white
Esperanto blankeco
- blankecoquality of being white
Finnish valkoisuus
- valkoisuusstate of being white
French blancheur, blancheur
- blancheurstate of being white
- blancheurquality of being white
- blanchitéquality of being white
- blanchitudequality of being white
German Weiße, Weisse
- Weißestate of being white
- Weissestate of being white
- Weißheitstate of being white
- Weissheitstate of being white
- Weißseinstate of being white
- Weissseinstate of being white
Hindi सफ़ेदी
- सफ़ेदी (safedī)state of being white
Hungarian fehérség
- fehérségstate of being white
Irish báine, gile
- báinestate of being white
- gilestate of being white
Italian bianchezza, biancore
- bianchezzastate of being white
- biancorestate of being white
Latin albitūdō
- albitūdōstate of being white
Polish białość, biel
- białośćstate of being white
- bielstate of being white
Portuguese brancura, alvura
- brancurastate of being white
- alvurastate of being white
- branquitudequality of being white
Romanian albiciune, albeață
- albiciunestate of being white
- albeațăstate of being white
- albitatestate of being white
Russian белизна́
- белизна́ (belizná)state of being white
Slovak belosť, bielosť
- belosťstate of being white
- bielosťstate of being white
- bielobastate of being white
Spanish blancura, albor
- blancurastate of being white
- alborstate of being white
- alburastate of being white
- blancorstate of being white
Swedish vithet
- vithetstate of being white
Thai ความขาว
- ความขาว (kwaam-kǎao)state of being white
Turkish beyazlık, aklık
- beyazlıkstate of being white
- aklıkstate of being white
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with whiteness
All rhymes →Cite this entry
whiteness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whiteness
“whiteness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whiteness. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whiteness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whiteness.
Source: whiteness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.