printed form of a document
formally, on paper and in writing
if something is in black and white, it means one has to be correct and second has to be incorrect
in absolute terms; without shades of grey
seeing things in absolute extremes
lacking colours except black and white
clearly, firmly, frankly, unconditionally, unmistakably, obviously, certainly, definitely, definitively
on paper, printed, written down, set down, in print, committed to paper, on record, documented, recorded, clearly/plainly/explicitly defined
Bank demanded in submit the proposal in black and white.
My daughter is still very young to understand the shades of grey, she talks in black and white.
Capital punishment is not a black and white issue.
Please tell me in black and white that you want me to stay in your life or no?
Stop looking at things “in black and white“, real life situations do have some grey patches as well.
He asked his old mother not to worry as the terms of the hand agreement were spelled out in black and white.
This is good to have the agreement in black and white.
Kara found black and white photographs of his parents. (Literal example)
There is no origin for this idiom
Was this page helpful?
definition
Common phrase that has a specific meaning.