Black (adjective) — of the very darkest colour, the result of the complete absence or absorption of light: a black cat, black ink.
Black (noun) — the darkest colour; (with capital B) a person of African or Caribbean heritage: dressed in black.
Black (verb) — to clean or polish something with black polish; (informal) to refuse to handle goods or do business with someone as a form of protest: the workers voted to black the company's deliveries.
What Does Black Mean?
Black is one of the oldest colour words in English, with roots stretching back to Old English and beyond. In its most straightforward sense it describes the complete absence of visible light — the darkest possible point on any colour scale. A starless sky at midnight, printer's ink on white paper, and a piano's ebony keys are all described as black.
Beyond the literal colour, black carries a wide range of figurative meanings. In finance, being "in the black" means your accounts show a profit — the opposite of "in the red". A "black market" refers to illegal trading outside official channels. "Black humour" describes comedy that deals with dark or disturbing subjects. The word also features prominently in idioms such as "black and white" (clear-cut, without ambiguity) and "a black sheep" (a family member who is a source of embarrassment or shame).
As a noun with a capital B, Black refers to people of African or Caribbean heritage as an ethnic and cultural identity. Modern British style guides recommend the capital letter when using the word in this sense. As an uncapitalised noun, black is simply the colour: She always wears black to formal occasions.
The verb use of black is less common in everyday speech. To black shoes means to polish them with black shoe polish. In industrial relations, to black a company means to boycott it — a practice associated with trade union actions.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| The cat has black and white fur. | A2 | adjective — basic colour description |
| She wore a simple black dress to the party. | B1 | adjective — describing clothing |
| The company is finally in the black after three difficult years. | B1 | idiom — financially profitable |
| The power cut left the entire neighbourhood in pitch black darkness. | B2 | collocation — intensified with "pitch" |
| The trade union voted to black all goods from the supplier until the dispute was resolved. | C1 | verb — industrial/labour relations register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| jet black | completely, intensely black | Her hair was jet black. |
| pitch black | completely dark, no light at all | The cellar was pitch black. |
| black coffee | coffee without milk or cream | I take my coffee black, no sugar. |
| black market | illegal buying and selling | He bought the currency on the black market. |
| black eye | bruising around the eye | He came home with a black eye. |
| black hole | a region in space; also a situation that absorbs resources | The project became a black hole for funding. |
| black sheep | a disgraced or embarrassing member of a group | She was considered the black sheep of the family. |
| go black | lose power or consciousness | The screen went black suddenly. |
| in the black | financially solvent or profitable | The firm is finally in the black. |
| black and white | clear-cut, leaving no room for doubt | It's not as black and white as you think. |
Usage Notes
- Adjective or noun? Black is most commonly an adjective (a black bag), but it is also a perfectly natural noun: dressed in black, the contrast of black and white.
- Capital B: When Black refers to people — as an ethnic, racial, or cultural descriptor — a capital letter is now standard in British English. This mirrors the capitalisation of other proper ethnic identifiers such as "Asian" or "European".
- Figurative uses: Many idioms with black carry negative connotations (black market, blackmail, black day). Learners should be aware that these reflect historical usage rather than a deliberate statement about the colour itself.
- Blackout vs. black out: The noun is written as one word (a blackout), while the phrasal verb is two words: the lights blacked out.
- Register: The verb use of black to mean boycott is formal or technical, mainly found in industrial relations and journalism. In everyday conversation, "boycott" is more natural.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
It was very dark and pitch black outside. (redundant — pitch black already means total darkness)
It was pitch black outside.
She is a black person of African origin. (use "Black" with a capital B when referring to ethnicity)
She is a Black person of African origin.
I prefer black tea without any milk. (standard phrasing for coffee; for tea, say "without milk" or "without any milk")
I prefer my tea without milk. / I prefer black tea. (both are acceptable — "black tea" also has a specific botanical meaning)
The situation is not so black and white like you think.
The situation is not as black and white as you think. (use "as … as", not "so … like")