WHITEWASHING

What Does Whitewashing Mean?

The Quick Answer

Whitewashing refers to the painting of walls or fences with a cheap white paint (a mixture of chalked lime and water) that covers up dirt and other marks. Whitewashing is used as an idiom with a number of meanings, including: glossing over bad conduct, dishonesty, or other misdeeds; casting a white actor to play a character of color; and editing images to make skin appear lighter.

Glossing Over Bad Conduct, Dishonesty, or Other Misdeeds

In general speech, the term whitewashing is widely used to refer to the practice of glossing over bad conduct, dishonesty, or other misdeeds (e.g., Russian state media reporting on the war in Ukraine, western media's failure to report on Ukrainian war crimes).

Casting a White Actor to Play a Character of Color

In film and television, whitewashing is the practice of casting white actors in non-white roles. A famous example is that of Johnny Depp playing a native American in the film The Lone Ranger.

Editing Images to Make Skin Appear Lighter

Whitewashing is also used to refer to the editing of images to make the subject's skin look lighter. This is a common practice among fans of K-Pop and other genres of Asian pop music. Whitewashing of this type is even done by some western celebrities of color (or their publicists). The most famous example of this sort of whitewashing is probably the steps taken by singer Michael Jackson to actually change his skin tone to a lighter color.

Image for Whitewashing

When I write Whitewashing, I mean this:

"Glossing Over Bad Conduct, Dishonesty, or Other Misdeeds"

Summary of Key Points for the First Definition

"Glossing Over Bad Conduct, Dishonesty, or Other Misdeeds" is, by far, the most common meaning for Whitewashing when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

Whitewashing
Definition:	Glossing Over Bad Conduct, Dishonesty, or Other Misdeeds
Type:	Word
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for the Second Definition

"Casting a White Actor to Play a Character of Color" is another common definition for Whitewashing.

Whitewashing
Definition:	Casting a White Actor to Play a Character of Color
Type:	Word
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for the Third Definition

Whitewashing also means "Editing Images to Make Skin Appear Lighter."

Whitewashing
Definition:	Editing Images to Make Skin Appear Lighter
Type:	Word
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Example of Whitewashing Used in a Text

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