blackface
noun
black·face
ˈblak-ˌfās
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, yellowface2
Cite this Entry
“Blackface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackface. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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