blackface

noun

black·​face ˈblak-ˌfās How to pronounce blackface (audio)
often attributive
1
: dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a Black person and especially to mock or ridicule Black people
specifically, historical : such makeup worn by white entertainers (as in minstrel shows) performing racist caricatures of Black people

Note: The wearing of blackface by white performers was, from the early 19th through the mid-20th centuries, a prominent feature of minstrel shows (see minstrel sense 3a) and similar forms of entertainment featuring exaggerated and inaccurate caricatures of Black people. The use of blackface is considered deeply offensive.

compare brownface, yellowface
2
plural blackfaces : a performer wearing blackface : minstrel sense 3a

Examples of blackface in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Dirties includes a scene where Johnson’s out-of-touch high-school character is in blackface, while the Nirvanna web series has bits that carelessly chase juvenile provocation, including stray uses of racial accents and slurs. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 2026 The character is often portrayed by white actors in blackface. — Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026 In 2020, though, a scene from a 2012 episode that featured a character in blackface was edited out on streaming. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 15 June 2026 Years later, during the Black Lives Matter movement, the clips of him in blackface surfaced once again. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for blackface

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blackface was in 1847

Phrases Containing blackface

Rhymes for blackface

See All Rhymes for blackface

Browse Nearby Words

black-eyed Susan
blackface
black-faced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blackface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackface. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blackface

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blackface

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