B2 adjective Neutral

blindness

/ˈblaɪndnəs/

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 5
1

He has struggled with night blindness since he was a young child.

He has had difficulty seeing in low light conditions since childhood.

2

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.

3

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

Noun
blindness
Verb
blind
Adverb
blindly
Adjective
blind
Related
blinder
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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

1

He has struggled with night blindness since he was a young child.

everyday

He has had difficulty seeing in low light conditions since childhood.

2

The clinical trial focuses on reversing permanent blindness caused by retinal damage.

formal

The medical study aims to restore sight in cases of permanent vision loss.

3

His blindness to his own faults makes it very difficult to argue with him.

informal

He is completely unaware of his own mistakes, which makes debating him hard.

4

Inattentional blindness is a psychological phenomenon where an individual fails to perceive an unexpected stimulus.

academic

A psychological effect where a person does not notice something visible because they are focused elsewhere.

5

The board's blindness to changing market demands resulted in a sharp decline in stock value.

business

The management's failure to recognize new market trends caused the company's value to drop.

Word Family

Noun
blindness
Verb
blind
Adverb
blindly
Adjective
blind
Related
blinder

Common Collocations

color blindness the inability to distinguish certain colors
total blindness complete lack of light perception and form perception
snow blindness temporary loss of vision caused by bright sunlight reflected from snow
moral blindness an inability to see the ethical implications of one's actions
blindness to the truth refusing to acknowledge or see the reality of a situation

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

blindness vs blind

'Blind' is usually an adjective describing the person, while 'blindness' is the noun describing the condition.

blindness vs deafness

'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

uncountable noun often followed by the preposition 'to' in figurative contexts can be modified by adjectives like 'total', 'partial', or 'metaphorical'
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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

Related Words

trivacation

C1

Relating to or characterized by a holiday structure divided into three distinct segments or taken three times within a single year. It is frequently used in travel planning to describe a multi-destination trip or in corporate settings regarding staggered leave policies.

angeoion

C1

Pertaining to or functioning as a vessel or receptacle, particularly within botanical or biological systems to describe structures that enclose seeds, spores, or fluids. It denotes a protective or containing quality within the organism's morphology.

comforthood

C1

To actively cultivate or provide a state of deep emotional security and familiar ease for oneself or others. It describes the intentional process of shielding an environment or a person from external stressors to ensure a lasting sense of peace.

exphobant

C1

Describing something that tends to expel, drive away, or counteract fear and phobias. It is typically used in clinical, psychological, or specialized contexts to refer to agents or environments that alleviate anxiety.

syngraphious

C1

Describing a legal document or contract that is signed by all parties involved, rather than just one. It implies a mutual obligation where multiple copies are often produced and distributed to each signatory.

antecivence

C1

The state or quality of preceding in time, rank, or logical order. It refers to the condition of being prior to something else, often implying a sense of priority or historical precedence.

biscicy

C1

To divide a concept, object, or group into two distinct and often opposing branches to facilitate precise analysis or categorization. It is primarily used in technical or academic contexts to describe the act of bifurcating a process for efficiency or clarity.

malmanency

C1

The state of being poorly or improperly maintained, or a condition of persistent mismanagement that leads to deterioration. It typically refers to systems, structures, or administrative processes that suffer from long-term neglect or faulty upkeep.

misalicide

C1

To intentionally suppress, destroy, or 'kill' a message or written communication before it reaches its intended recipient. This term is often used in specialized vocabulary contexts to describe the interception and termination of correspondence.

ultracedment

C1

Ultracedment refers to the extreme or excessive act of yielding, conceding, or surrendering one's position or rights, typically far beyond what is considered reasonable in a negotiation. It describes a state of absolute capitulation where one party abandons almost all demands to satisfy another.

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