Black vs. Negro — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Updated on March 31, 2024
Black is a term used to describe people of Sub-Saharan African descent, emphasizing a shared cultural and ethnic identity, while Negro, an outdated term once used for the same group, is now considered archaic and potentially offensive.
Difference Between Black and Negro
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Key Differences
"Black" is a contemporary term that refers to people of African descent, reflecting a broad sense of cultural and ethnic identity without implying inferiority or otherness. It is widely accepted and used within both academic and social contexts to describe racial identity in a manner that is respectful and empowering. On the other hand, "Negro" is a historical term that originated from the Spanish and Portuguese word for 'black,' used primarily in the 18th and 19th centuries, and into the mid-20th century, to classify people of African descent. Its use today is generally discouraged as it evokes a period marked by racial segregation and discrimination.
While "Black" encompasses a wide range of diverse cultures and identities within the African diaspora, promoting unity and strength, "Negro" is tied to a period when African Americans and other African descent groups were legally and socially discriminated against. The evolution from "Negro" to "Black" signifies a shift towards self-identification and empowerment, rejecting the historical connotations of subjugation and colonialism associated with the older term.
The choice of terminology often reflects broader societal attitudes towards race and identity. The shift from "Negro" to "Black" is part of a larger movement towards recognizing the autonomy of racial and ethnic groups to define their own identities. This change also mirrors the progression in understanding and respecting the complexities of racial identity, acknowledging the historical and ongoing impacts of racism and discrimination.
In terms of usage, "Black" is considered appropriate and respectful in modern discourse, while "Negro" is used primarily in historical contexts to accurately represent the terminology and attitudes of the past. It's important for contemporary discourse to use terms that individuals and communities prefer, as language plays a significant role in shaping and reflecting social attitudes and beliefs.
Both terms have played roles in the sociopolitical landscape of the United States and beyond, influencing how people of African descent view themselves and are viewed by society. The transition from "Negro" to "Black" also reflects broader changes in the political and social recognition of racial and ethnic groups, marking a move towards equality and respect in linguistic representation.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Refers to people of Sub-Saharan African descent, emphasizing cultural and ethnic identity.
An outdated term once used to describe people of African descent, now considered archaic and potentially offensive.
Context of Use
Widely accepted in modern discourse, reflecting a respectful and empowering identity.
Used historically, reflecting past societal attitudes; its use today is discouraged except in specific historical contexts.
Connotations
Empowering and unifying, emphasizing a shared cultural identity and strength.
Associated with periods of racial segregation and discrimination, implying otherness and inferiority.
Reflects
A move towards self-identification, autonomy, and empowerment of African descent communities.
Historical classifications and attitudes towards race, tied to colonialism and slavery.
Compare with Definitions
Black
Pertaining to people of African descent, emphasizing a collective cultural identity.
Black culture has a profound impact on music and arts worldwide.
Negro
Historical term for individuals of African descent, now largely outdated.
The term Negro was commonly used in legal and social contexts until the mid-20th century.
Black
Signifies a broad spectrum of the African diaspora.
The Black experience encompasses a wide range of cultures and histories.
Negro
Used in historical documentation and analysis.
Scholars study Negro spirituals as a critical part of American musical history.
Black
Used to denote racial identity with a sense of pride and unity.
The Black community celebrates its heritage and achievements during Black History Month.
Negro
Reflects past societal attitudes and classifications.
Census categories once included Negro as a race option.
Black
Reflects a modern, respectful approach to racial description.
Black leaders have played pivotal roles in advancing civil rights.
Negro
Considered inappropriate in modern discourse.
The use of Negro in contemporary language is avoided due to its offensive connotations.
Black
Symbolizes strength, resilience, and empowerment.
Black-owned businesses contribute significantly to economic diversity.
Negro
Associated with a period of racial segregation and discrimination.
Negro leagues were formed when African American players were excluded from Major League Baseball.
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and gray.
Negro
In the English language, negro is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The term can be construed as offensive, inoffensive, or completely neutral, largely depending on the region or country where it is used.
Black
Of the very darkest colour owing to the absence of or complete absorption of light; the opposite of white
Her long black hair
Black smoke
Negro
A member of a dark-skinned group of peoples originally native to Africa south of the Sahara.
Black
Belonging to or denoting any human group having dark-coloured skin, especially of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry
Black adolescents of Jamaican descent
Negro
Relating to black people.
Black
Denoting a covert military procedure
Clearance for black operations came from the highest political level
Negro
A black person.
Black
(of goods or work) not to be handled or undertaken by trade union members, especially so as to express support for an industrial dispute elsewhere
The union declared the ship black
Negro
A member of the Negroid race. Not in scientific use.
Black
Black colour or pigment
A tray decorated in black and green
Negro
Relating to a black ethnicity.
Black
A member of a dark-skinned people, especially one of African or Australian Aboriginal ancestry
They tend to identify strongly with other blacks
Negro
Black or dark brown in color.
Black
The situation of not owing money to a bank or of making a profit in a business operation
It is hoped the club will be back in the black by the end of the season
An insurance company operating in the black will be able to pay for further growth
I managed to break even in the first six months—quite a short time for a small business to get into the black
Negro
A person of Black African ancestry.
Black
Blackcurrant cordial
A rum and black
Negro
A person of dark skin color descended at least in part from African negroes; in the United States, an African-American.
Black
Make (something) black, especially with polish
The steps of the house were neatly blacked
Negro
Of or pertaining to negroes; black.
Black
Refuse to handle (goods), undertake (work), or have dealings with (a person or business) as a way of taking industrial action
The union blacked the film because overtime was not being paid
Negro
A person with dark skin who comes from Africa (or whose ancestors came from Africa)
Black
Being of the color black, producing or reflecting comparatively little light and having no predominant hue.
Negro
Relating to or characteristic of or being a member of the traditional racial division of mankind having brown to black pigmentation and tightly curled hair
Black
Having little or no light
A black, moonless night.
Black
Of or belonging to a racial group having brown to black skin, especially one of African origin
The black population of South Africa.
Black
Of or belonging to an American ethnic group descended from African peoples having dark skin; African American.
Black
Very dark in color
Rich black soil.
Black, wavy hair.
Black
Being a trail, as for skiing, marked with a sign having a black diamond, indicating a high level of difficulty.
Black
Soiled, as from soot; dirty
Feet black from playing outdoors.
Black
Evil; wicked
The pirates' black deeds.
Black
Cheerless and depressing; gloomy
Black thoughts.
Black
Being or characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor
A black comedy.
Black
Marked by anger or sullenness
Gave me a black look.
Black
Attended with disaster; calamitous
A black day.
The stock market crash on Black Friday.
Black
Deserving of, indicating, or incurring censure or dishonor
“Man ... has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands” (Rachel Carson).
Black
Wearing clothing of the darkest visual hue
The black knight.
Black
Served without milk or cream
Black coffee.
Black
Appearing to emanate from a source other than the actual point of origin. Used chiefly of intelligence operations
Black propaganda.
Black radio transmissions.
Black
Disclosed, for reasons of security, only to an extremely limited number of authorized persons; very highly classified
Black programs in the Defense Department.
The Pentagon's black budget.
Black
Chiefly British Boycotted as part of a labor union action.
Black
The achromatic color value of minimum lightness or maximum darkness; the color of objects that absorb nearly all light of all visible wavelengths; one extreme of the neutral gray series, the opposite being white. Although strictly a response to zero stimulation of the retina, the perception of black appears to depend on contrast with surrounding color stimuli.
Black
A pigment or dye having this color value.
Black
Complete or almost complete absence of light; darkness.
Black
Clothing of the darkest hue, especially such clothing worn for mourning.
Black
A member of a racial group having brown to black skin, especially one of African origin.
Black
An American descended from peoples of African origin having brown to black skin; an African American.
Black
Something that is colored black.
Black
The black-colored pieces, as in chess or checkers.
Black
The player using these pieces.
Black
The condition of making or operating at a profit
Worked hard to get the business back into the black.
Black
To make black
Blacked their faces with charcoal.
Black
To apply blacking to
Blacked the stove.
Black
Chiefly British To boycott as part of a labor union action.
Black
To become black.
Black
(of an object) Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and hueless.
Black
(of a place, etc) Without light.
Black
(sometimes capitalized) Belonging to or descended from any of various (African, Aboriginal, etc) ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin. See usage notes below.
Black
(US) Belonging to or descended from any of various sub-Saharan African ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin.
Black
Designated for use by those ethnic groups (as described above).
Black drinking fountain; black hospital
Black
Of the spades or clubs suits. Compare of the hearts or diamonds suit
I was dealt two red queens, and he got one of the black queens.
Black
Bad; evil; ill-omened.
Black
Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen.
He shot her a black look.
Black
(of objects, markets, etc) Illegitimate, illegal or disgraced.
Black
Foul; dirty, soiled.
Black
Overcrowded.
Black
(of coffee or tea) Without any cream, milk, or creamer.
Jim drinks his coffee black, but Ellen prefers it with creamer.
Black
Of or relating to the playing pieces of a board game deemed to belong to the "black" set (in chess the set used by the player who moves second) often regardless of the pieces' actual colour.
The black pieces in this chess set are made of dark blue glass.
Black
(politics) Anarchist; of or pertaining to anarchism.
Black
(typography) Said of a symbol or character that is solid, filled with color. Compare said of a character or symbol outline, not filled with color.
Black
(politics) Related to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.
After the election, the parties united in a black-yellow alliance.
Black
Clandestine; relating to a political, military, or espionage operation or site, the existence or details of which is withheld from the general public.
5 percent of the Defense Department funding will go to black projects.
Black operations/black ops, black room, black site
Black
Occult; relating to something (such as mystical or magical knowledge) which is unknown to or kept secret from the general public.
Black
Protestant, often with the implication of being militantly pro-British or anti-Catholic. 1=Compare blackmouth ("Presbyterian").
The Royal Black Institution
Black
Having one or more features (hair, fur, armour, clothes, bark, etc) that is dark (or black); in taxonomy, especially: dark in comparison to another species with the same base name.
Black birch, black locust, black rhino
The black knight, black bile
Black
The colour/color perceived in the absence of light, but also when no light is reflected, but rather absorbed.
Black
A black dye or pigment.
Black
(countable) A pen, pencil, crayon, etc., made of black pigment.
Black
(in the plural) Black cloth hung up at funerals.
Black
A member of descendant of any of various (African, Aboriginal, etc) ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin. See usage notes.
Black
(informal) Blackness, the condition of belonging to or being descended from one of these ethnic groups.
Black don't crack
Black
The black ball.
Black
The edge of home plate.
Black
A type of firecracker that is really more dark brown in colour.
Black
, especially as syrup or crème de cassis used for cocktails.
Pernod and black... snakebite and black... cider and black...
Black
The person playing with the black set of pieces.
At this point black makes a disastrous move.
Black
(countable) Something, or a part of a thing, which is black.
Black
A stain; a spot.
Black
A dark smut fungus, harmful to wheat.
Black
Marijuana.
Black
(transitive) To make black; to blacken.
Black
(transitive) To apply blacking to (something).
Black
To boycott, usually as part of an industrial dispute.
Black
(pornography) of a white woman To be fucked by a black man.
Black
Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark color, the opposite of white; characterized by such a color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes.
O night, with hue so black!
Black
In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the heavens black with clouds.
I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud.
Black
Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness; destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked; cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible.
Black
Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen; foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.
Black
Sullenly; threateningly; maliciously; so as to produce blackness.
Black
That which is destitute of light or whiteness; the darkest color, or rather a destitution of all color; as, a cloth has a good black.
Black is the badge of hell,The hue of dungeons, and the suit of night.
Black
A black pigment or dye.
Black
A negro; a person whose skin is of a black color, or shaded with black; esp. a member or descendant of certain African races.
Black
A black garment or dress; as, she wears black
Friends weeping, and blacks, and obsequies, and the like show death terrible.
That was the full time they used to wear blacks for the death of their fathers.
Black
The part of a thing which is distinguished from the rest by being black.
The black or sight of the eye.
Black
A stain; a spot; a smooch.
Defiling her white lawn of chastity with ugly blacks of lust.
Black
To make black; to blacken; to soil; to sully.
They have their teeth blacked, both men and women, for they say a dog hath his teeth white, therefore they will black theirs.
Sins which black thy soul.
Black
To make black and shining, as boots or a stove, by applying blacking and then polishing with a brush.
Black
The quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
Black
Total absence of light;
They fumbled around in total darkness
In the black of night
Black
British chemist who identified carbon dioxide and who formulated the concepts of specific heat and latent heat (1728-1799)
Black
Popular child actress of the 1930's (born 1927)
Black
A person with dark skin who comes from Africa (or whose ancestors came from Africa)
Black
(board games) the darker pieces
Black
Black clothing (worn as a sign of mourning);
The widow wore black
Black
Make or become black;
The smoke blackened the ceiling
The ceiling blackened
Black
Being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light;
Black leather jackets
As black as coal
Rich black soil
Black
Of or belonging to a racial group having dark skin especially of sub-Saharan African origin;
A great people--a black people--...injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization
Black
Marked by anger or resentment or hostility;
Black looks
Black words
Black
Stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable;
Black deeds
A black lie
His black heart has concocted yet another black deed
Darth Vader of the dark side
A dark purpose
Dark undercurrents of ethnic hostility
The scheme of some sinister intelligence bent on punishing him
Black
Offering little or no hope;
The future looked black
Prospects were bleak
Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult
Took a dim view of things
Black
(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin;
The stock market crashed on Black Friday
A calamitous defeat
The battle was a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign
Such doctrines, if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory
It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it
A fateful error
Black
Extremely dark;
A black moonless night
Through the pitch-black woods
It was pitch-dark in the celler
Black
Harshly ironic or sinister;
Black humor
A grim joke
Grim laughter
Fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit
Black
(of intelligence operations) deliberately misleading;
Black propaganda
Black
Distributed or sold illicitly;
The black economy pays no taxes
Black
(used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame;
Man...has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands
An ignominious retreat
Inglorious defeat
An opprobrious monument to human greed
A shameful display of cowardice
Black
(of coffee) without cream or sugar
Black
Dressed in black;
A black knight
Black friars
Black
Soiled with dirt or soot;
With feet black from playing outdoors
His shirt was black within an hour
Common Curiosities
Can "Negro" ever be used in modern language?
Its use is generally limited to historical contexts or references to accurately represent historical texts, attitudes, or classifications.
How has the terminology affecting racial identity evolved?
Terminology has evolved to reflect shifts towards self-identification, empowerment, and respect for racial and ethnic groups' autonomy in defining their own identities.
What does the term "Black" signify in racial identity?
"Black" signifies a collective identity among people of African descent, emphasizing empowerment, cultural unity, and pride in heritage.
Is "African American" interchangeable with "Black"?
While often used interchangeably in the United States, "African American" specifically refers to Black Americans, often with historical ties to American slavery, whereas "Black" can encompass a broader range of the African diaspora.
What historical movements contributed to the shift from "Negro" to "Black"?
The Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement of the 1960s and 1970s were pivotal in promoting the shift from "Negro" to "Black," as activists and community leaders sought terms that expressed pride, strength, and autonomy.
Why is "Negro" considered offensive today?
"Negro" is considered offensive due to its association with periods of enslavement, segregation, and racial discrimination, reflecting outdated and derogatory views on race.
What is the significance of using preferred racial and ethnic terms?
Using preferred terms respects individuals' identities, promotes dignity and equality, and reflects contemporary understandings and sensitivities regarding race and ethnicity.
How do terms like "Black" influence societal attitudes?
Terms like "Black" influence societal attitudes by fostering a sense of pride, unity, and respect for diversity, challenging stereotypes and promoting a more inclusive perspective.
Are there any circumstances under which the use of "Negro" is still acceptable?
"Negro" may be acceptable in academic or historical analysis that directly addresses the terminology used in specific historical periods, or when quoting historical documents, to maintain historical accuracy.
Why has the term "Black" become more preferable than "Negro"?
"Black" has become preferable due to its neutral connotations and empowerment, reflecting a positive self-identity that contrasts with the historical baggage and negative associations of "Negro."
How do these terms reflect broader societal changes?
The evolution from "Negro" to "Black" reflects broader societal changes towards racial equality and respect for individual and community identity, indicating progress in the social and political recognition of people of African descent.
What role does education play in understanding the significance of these terms?
Education plays a critical role in understanding the historical context, significance, and evolution of these terms, promoting awareness and respect for the nuances of racial and ethnic identities.
How does the context of use affect the appropriateness of these terms?
Context is crucial; "Black" is universally appropriate for contemporary use, while "Negro" is restricted to historical references. Understanding the audience, purpose, and setting guides the appropriateness of these terms.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
