blindness
The condition of being unable to see due to physiological or neurological factors. It can also refer to a lack of perception, awareness, or judgment regarding a specific situation or fact.
Examples
3 of 5He has struggled with night blindness since he was a young child.
He has had difficulty seeing in low light conditions since childhood.
The clinical trial focuses on reversing permanent blindness caused by retinal damage.
The medical study aims to restore sight in cases of permanent vision loss.
His blindness to his own faults makes it very difficult to argue with him.
He is completely unaware of his own mistakes, which makes debating him hard.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Remember that '-ness' turns an adjective (blind) into a noun (blindness), representing the 'state of being' blind.
Quick Quiz
The CEO's ________ to the concerns of his employees eventually led to a massive strike.
Correct!
The correct answer is: blindness
Examples
He has struggled with night blindness since he was a young child.
everydayHe has had difficulty seeing in low light conditions since childhood.
The clinical trial focuses on reversing permanent blindness caused by retinal damage.
formalThe medical study aims to restore sight in cases of permanent vision loss.
His blindness to his own faults makes it very difficult to argue with him.
informalHe is completely unaware of his own mistakes, which makes debating him hard.
Inattentional blindness is a psychological phenomenon where an individual fails to perceive an unexpected stimulus.
academicA psychological effect where a person does not notice something visible because they are focused elsewhere.
The board's blindness to changing market demands resulted in a sharp decline in stock value.
businessThe management's failure to recognize new market trends caused the company's value to drop.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
Inattentional blindness
The failure to notice a fully-visible but unexpected object because attention was engaged on another task.
Blindness to change
A phenomenon where a person viewing a visual scene fails to detect a large change within it.
Willful blindness
A term used in law to describe a situation where a person seeks to avoid civil or criminal liability for a wrongful act by intentionally keeping themselves unaware of facts.
Often Confused With
'Blind' is usually an adjective describing the person, while 'blindness' is the noun describing the condition.
'Deafness' refers to the loss of hearing, whereas 'blindness' refers to the loss of sight.
Usage Notes
Use 'blindness' when discussing the medical condition or the abstract concept of being unaware. When used metaphorically, it is often followed by the preposition 'to'.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 'blindness' as an adjective (e.g., 'He is blindness' instead of 'He is blind'). Always remember that 'blindness' is the name of the state or quality.
Memory Tip
Remember that '-ness' turns an adjective (blind) into a noun (blindness), representing the 'state of being' blind.
Word Origin
Derived from the Old English 'blind' (lacking sight) combined with the Germanic suffix '-ness', used to form abstract nouns.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In many cultures, blindness is discussed alongside accessibility rights and the use of assistive technologies like Braille or guide dogs.
Quick Quiz
The CEO's ________ to the concerns of his employees eventually led to a massive strike.
Correct!
The correct answer is: blindness
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