# blackout

/ˈbɫæˌkaʊt/ (US) · /blˈækaʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/blackout
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. power failure

noun · CEFR B2

a period of time when there is no electricity in a building or area.

For teachers: a large-scale failure of electrical power supply to a specific geographic area.

- The storm caused a massive blackout that left the whole city in the dark.
- The aging infrastructure was unable to handle the peak demand, resulting in a rolling blackout that affected several industrial districts.

### 2. loss of consciousness

noun · CEFR B2

a short period when you are unconscious or cannot remember what happened.

For teachers: a temporary loss of consciousness or memory, often induced by medical conditions or substance use.

- He had a total blackout and couldn't remember how he got home.
- The patient reported experiencing a brief blackout during the flight, prompting the medical team to investigate potential neurological causes.

### 3. censorship

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

when the government or an organization stops news or information from being shared.

For teachers: the official suppression or withholding of information, particularly by a government during a crisis.

- The government imposed a media blackout during the military operation.
- Despite the official news blackout, reports of the protest began to leak out through encrypted messaging apps.

### 4. blocking light

noun · CEFR B2

making a room or area completely dark by covering windows.

For teachers: the act of extinguishing or hiding all lights, historically as a defense against air raids.

- We put up blackout curtains so the streetlights wouldn't keep us awake.
- During the war, strict blackout regulations were enforced to ensure that no light was visible to enemy aircraft from the ground.

### 5. internet protest

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

when a website is intentionally taken offline to protest against something.

For teachers: an intentional, temporary outage of a website or digital service, typically executed as a form of political or social protest.

- Several major websites joined the blackout to protest the new internet laws.
- The digital blackout served as a powerful demonstration of the community's collective influence over the platform's advertising revenue.

## Examples

- The whole city went dark during the sudden blackout.
- Storm damage to the main power lines caused a massive blackout that lasted for three days.
- The government imposed a total media blackout during the sensitive negotiations to prevent any leaks that might compromise the safety of the hostages.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.