white
white — adjective
1. having the lightest colour there is — the colour of fresh snow or clean paper, n
having the lightest colour there is — the colour of fresh snow or clean paper, not dark at all
Jenna wore a simple white dress to her graduation ceremony.
white + noun for describing objects
The walls in the kitchen were painted a bright white.
predicative: be + white
A white van parked outside the school gates this morning.
The cat had soft white fur and bright green eyes.
Clouds drifted across the sky, white against the deep blue.
predicative after noun
- white paint
- white shirt
- white wall
- white flower
- white snow
- pure white
- bright white
- black
the darkest colour, opposite of white on the lightness scale
Grammar Patterns
white + noun
be + white
Usage Note
This is the core colour sense of white; other senses (pale, blank, racial) are extensions of this basic meaning. In attributive position, white directly modifies the noun: white shirt, white paint.
Common Mistakes
2. describing a colour that is nearly white, being much lighter than the normal sha
describing a colour that is nearly white, being much lighter than the normal shade you would expect; or saying that someone's face has become very pale because they are frightened, sick, or shocked
Imani's face went white when she heard the terrible news.
go + white for sudden paleness
The walls were a soft white shade that made the room feel bigger.
white + shade for colour tones
After three days without sleep, Rodrigo's lips were white and dry.
The morning sky was a pale white colour before the sun rose.
Sari turned white with anger, but she did not raise her voice.
turn + white + with + emotion
- go white
- turn white
- white face
- white lips
- white with shock
- white with fear
- pale
the most common synonym; can be used for faces or colours
- ashen
greyish-white, usually from shock or illness
- colourless
lacking any colour at all
Grammar Patterns
be/go/turn + white
white + noun (shade)
Usage Note
When describing a person's face, white usually refers to a temporary paleness caused by emotion or health, not skin colour. 'Go white' and 'turn white' are common collocations for sudden changes.
Common Mistakes
3. describing people whose skin is pale in colour, especially those whose family or
describing people whose skin is pale in colour, especially those whose family originally came from Europe, or things that are associated with such people
The town's population was mostly white before the factory opened.
white as a demographic adjective
The school curriculum included stories from white authors and writers of colour alike.
Asher was the only white student in his Cantonese class.
The survey explored how white voters in rural areas felt about the new policy.
white + voter / community / neighbourhood
- white people
- white community
- white population
- white voter
- white neighbourhood
- white student
Grammar Patterns
white + noun (people/community/society)
Usage Note
This sense is widely used in social and demographic discussion but can be sensitive. In some contexts, it is considered too broad or outdated as a racial label. The attributive position is most common: white neighbourhood, white culture, white student. Avoid using it as a stand-alone noun to refer to a person — use 'white person' or 'white people' instead.
Common Mistakes
4. used before the name of a hot drink to show that it has milk or cream added to i
used before the name of a hot drink to show that it has milk or cream added to it — for example, white coffee, white tea, or white hot chocolate
Rohan always orders a large white coffee with one sugar in the morning.
white coffee — coffee with milk
Would you like white tea or green tea with your lunch?
The café serves a white hot chocolate topped with whipped cream.
white + hot drink name
Hana asked for a white coffee but the waiter brought her an espresso.
- white coffee
- white tea
- white hot chocolate
- with milk
descriptive phrase used in American English instead of 'white'
- black
for coffee or tea without milk
Grammar Patterns
white + drink noun
Usage Note
Primarily British usage. In American English, people say 'coffee with milk' or 'coffee with cream' rather than 'white coffee.' 'White tea' refers to a lightly processed tea, not necessarily tea with milk.
Common Mistakes
5. describing a surface, like a piece of paper, a board, or a wall, that is complet
describing a surface, like a piece of paper, a board, or a wall, that is completely empty — there are no words, drawings, or marks of any kind on it
Theo stared at the white page, unable to start his essay.
white page — empty writing surface
The teacher wrote the maths problem on the white board at the front of the class.
All the white spaces on the form must be filled in with a black pen.
The artist began with a white canvas and a small tube of red paint.
white canvas — empty artistic surface
- white page
- white board
- white space
- white canvas
- white paper
- white surface
Grammar Patterns
white + noun (paper/surface)
be + white
Usage Note
This sense overlaps with 'blank' but is less common. 'Blank' (white/5 can be used interchangeably with 'blank paper' but is more literal — it refers to the visual appearance of emptiness.
6. relating to white people as a racial or ethnic group, especially in political or
relating to white people as a racial or ethnic group, especially in political or social contexts
The candidate focused on winning the white vote in the southern states.
white vote — political demographic
Some historians argue that white backlash shaped American politics in the 1960s.
Anya wrote a research paper on the rise of white nationalism in Europe.
white nationalism — specific political ideology
The newspaper described the region as a stronghold of white working-class conservatism.
- white vote
- white working class
- white nationalism
- white backlash
- white conservative
- conservative
broader political label; not tied to race
- reactionary
strongly opposed to social or political change — more extreme
- progressive
favouring social reform and change
- liberal
supporting individual rights and social equality
Grammar Patterns
white + noun (party/voter/policy)
Usage Note
In political contexts, white is often used in compound terms (white vote, white working class, white nationalism). These terms are not neutral descriptions — they carry strong ideological weight. The simple 'white party' is rarely used.
7. describing something or someone that is morally pure, uncorrupted by evil or wro
describing something or someone that is morally pure, uncorrupted by evil or wrongdoing — used in religious, poetic, or symbolic language
The bride wore white as a symbol of her pure intentions.
white for symbolic purity
In many cultures, white represents goodness, light, and truth.
The old poem described a white knight who rescued the village from darkness.
white knight — figurative rescuer
Ingrid believed that children are born with white souls, untouched by the world's cruelty.
- white soul
- white knight
- white magic
- white dress
- pure white
Grammar Patterns
white + noun (soul/knight/dress)
be + white
Usage Note
This sense is almost always figurative or symbolic. It appears in fixed phrases like 'white magic' (used for good), 'white knight' (someone who rescues others), and 'white lie' (a harmless falsehood). Outside of these expressions, the sense can sound old-fashioned or overly poetic in everyday speech.
white — noun
1. the lightest colour there is — the same colour as snow, milk, or paper, opposite
the lightest colour there is — the same colour as snow, milk, or paper, opposite of black on the lightness scale
The bride chose white for her wedding because it symbolises purity.
choose white — selecting a colour
In the painting, the artist used white to make the other colours stand out.
The bedrooms were all decorated in white with a few blue cushions.
in white — colour scheme
The white of the snow was so bright that Jenna had to wear sunglasses.
Anya painted the fence a clean white that matched the house.
a white — countable colour instance
- in white
- the white of
- dressed in white
- pure white
- a warm white
- purity
symbolic association rather than a direct synonym
- black
the opposite colour on the lightness scale
Grammar Patterns
the white of + noun
in white
a white
Usage Note
As an uncountable noun, white refers to the colour in general. As a countable noun (a white), it refers to a particular shade or type of white: 'The wall was painted a warm white.'
Common Mistakes
2. the clear, jelly-like substance inside an egg that surrounds the yellow yolk; wh
the clear, jelly-like substance inside an egg that surrounds the yellow yolk; when you cook it, this substance turns solid and becomes white in colour
Theo separated the whites from the yolks to make a light sponge cake.
separate the whites — cooking technique
Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks for the meringue.
beat / whisk egg whites
The recipe requires three egg whites and one whole egg.
Rodrigo whisked the whites into a light foam for the soufflé.
- egg white
- separate the whites
- whisk the whites
- beat the whites
- fluffy whites
- yolk
the yellow part of the egg
Grammar Patterns
egg white
whites of + number + eggs
Usage Note
In cooking contexts, 'the white' (uncountable) refers to the substance collectively, while 'whites' (countable plural) refers to the whites from multiple eggs. 'Egg white' is commonly used as a compound noun.
Common Mistakes
3. the hard, white outer layer that covers the eyeball, surrounding the coloured ce
the hard, white outer layer that covers the eyeball, surrounding the coloured central part
Imani could see the red veins in the whites of the old man's eyes.
the whites of someone's eyes
The doctor asked Sari to look up so he could check the whites of her eyes.
When the baby cried, the whites of his eyes turned pink.
The whites of Ingrid's eyes were yellow, so the doctor ran some tests.
whites of eyes indicating health
- whites of the eyes
- bloodshot whites
- yellow whites
- clear whites
- sclera
the medical term, not used in everyday English
Grammar Patterns
the whites of + possessive + eyes
Usage Note
The plural form 'whites' is much more common than the singular. The phrase 'the whites of someone's eyes' is a fixed expression. Yellow whites can be a sign of liver problems.
4. a type of wine that is pale yellow or greenish-yellow in colour, rather than red
a type of wine that is pale yellow or greenish-yellow in colour, rather than red, usually served cold
Asher brought a bottle of chilled white to the dinner party.
chilled white — white wine served cold
The restaurant recommends a crisp white to go with the fish dishes.
Would you like red or white with your pasta?
red or white — choosing wine type
Hana prefers a dry white over sweet wines for everyday drinking.
- dry white
- crisp white
- chilled white
- a glass of white
- red or white
- red
red wine — the main alternative colour of wine
Grammar Patterns
a white
red or white
a glass of white
Usage Note
Common shortened form of 'white wine.' The full form 'white wine' is preferred in formal or restaurant contexts. The word 'white' alone is informal but very common in questions like 'Red or white?'
5. a person whose skin is light in colour, especially someone whose family original
a person whose skin is light in colour, especially someone whose family originally came from Europe
The school enrolled students from all backgrounds, including whites and Asians.
whites as a demographic noun
In the 1960s, many whites moved out of the city to the suburbs.
The survey compared the incomes of whites and other ethnic groups in the region.
The neighbourhood was mostly made up of middle-class whites and Latinos.
whites in demographic descriptions
- whites and
- middle-class whites
- working-class whites
- rich whites
- poor whites
- white person
the adjective + noun form, generally preferred over the noun alone
Grammar Patterns
whites and + other groups
Usage Note
Using 'white' as a noun to refer to a person (e.g., 'a white') can be considered insensitive or overly reductive. The adjective form ('white people', 'a white person') is generally more respectful. The noun form is most commonly used in plural for demographic or statistical contexts.
Common Mistakes
6. clothing or fabric that is white in colour, considered as a separate group from
clothing or fabric that is white in colour, considered as a separate group from coloured or dark items
Élise separated the whites from the dark clothes before putting them in the washing machine.
separate the whites — laundry sorting
The tennis club requires all players to wear whites on the court.
wear whites — sports dress code
Anya packed her whites in a separate bag so they would not stain.
The hotel laundry service washed the whites with bleach to keep them bright.
- wash the whites
- separate the whites
- wear whites
- whites and darks
- whites and colours
Grammar Patterns
wash the whites
wear whites
Usage Note
This noun is always plural. It is used in two main contexts: laundry (sorting whites from colours) and sports (where certain sports like tennis and cricket require white clothing as uniform).
Common Mistakes
white — verb
1. to turn something a white colour, or to give it a paler appearance than before,
to turn something a white colour, or to give it a paler appearance than before, often by using a chemical such as bleach or a special dental treatment
The dentist recommended a special gel to white her teeth.
white teeth — cosmetic dental treatment
Some people use bleach to white their clothes at home.
white + clothes — laundry use
The sun had whitened the old wooden boards on the deck over the years.
Jenna whitened the walls with a fresh coat of paint before moving in.
- white teeth
- white clothes
- white paint
- blacken
to make something black or darker
Grammar Patterns
white + object
be whitened
Usage Note
This verb is relatively rare in modern English. The more common form is 'whiten' (with the -en suffix). 'To white' something focuses on the result, while 'to whiten' emphasises the process. Both are interchangeable.
a white lie
idioma small, harmless lie that you tell someone to avoid upsetting them or to be polite
Rohan told a white lie and said he loved the meal, even though it was too salty.
Sari's mother always told white lies about birthday presents to keep the children excited.
black and white
idiomin a way that is written down and can be proved; or describing a situation that is very clear, with no room for doubt or in-between
The contract set out the terms in black and white for both parties.
Theo sees the world in black and white, but real life is usually more complex.
as white as a sheet
idiomextremely pale in the face because of fear, shock, or illness
Imani went as white as a sheet when she saw the car almost hit the child.
After the bad news, Hana's face was as white as a sheet.
Word family
- whitenverbB2
- whitenessnounB2
- whitishadjectiveB1
- whiteboardnounA2
- whitewashnounC1
- whitewashverbC1
- whitenernounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All five words describe light colours, but they differ in shade and usage. White is the most basic term: the colour of snow or milk. Pale refers to any colour that has lost its intensity — pale blue is not white, just lighter than regular blue. Cream has a very slight yellow tint, like dairy cream. Ivory is an off-white with a warm, yellowish-beige tone, similar to elephant tusk. Snowy is more poetic and emphasises a pure, cold, bright white, often used in descriptions of winter. In practice: 'I painted the wall white' (neutral), 'She wore an ivory dress' (elegant, warm), 'The tablecloth was a soft cream' (cosy), 'The mountain peaks were snowy' (poetic, visual).
Common collocations
Nouns
- white light
- white paint
- white fabric
- white clothing
- white surface
Adverbs
- completely white
- pure white
- mostly white
- bright white
- perfectly white
Phrases
- black and white
- in black and white
- white as snow
- white as a sheet
Prepositions
- white with
- white as
- in white
Etymology
White comes from the Old English word hwīt, which is related to the Old Saxon hwīt, Old High German hwīz, and Old Norse hvítr. All of these go back to a common Germanic root *hwītaz, meaning 'bright' or 'shining'. That root comes from the Proto-Indo-European *kweid-, meaning 'to shine' or 'to be bright.' The same PIE root also gave us words like wheat (the grain that produces white flour) and Sanskrit śveta (white, bright). The connection between whiteness and brightness has existed for thousands of years across many languages.