whiteness
n.n. the state of being white, or the quality of being very light in color. In social studies, it often refers to the social power and advantages that come with being part of the white race.
n. the state or quality of being white, or the social and cultural status associated with being white. Often used in sociological contexts to discuss systemic privilege and racial identity.
The whiteness of the snow made the landscape look very quiet.
Sociologists study how whiteness functions as a social category that grants certain privileges in many Western societies.
The artist's work explores the historical construction of whiteness as a marker of purity, while simultaneously challenging the aesthetic norms that have traditionally dominated the gallery scene.
Inherited from Middle English whitenesse, whitnesse, whytnesse, hwitnesse, from Old English hwītnes (“whiteness”), equivalent to white + -ness.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 18, 2026