blank

The word “blank” means free of writing, marks, or content; empty. In plain terms, empty of content or expression — or, as a verb, to suddenly forget something or deliberately ignore someone.

“Blank” is pronounced BLANGK (/ˈbleɪ̯ŋk/ in IPA).

Here is “blank” used in a sentence: “She stared at the blank page, unsure how to start.”

Depending on how it is used, “blank” can be an adjective, a noun and a verb.

The word “blank” comes from Old French. From Old French blanc, "white," via Middle English — the sense shifted from "white/pale" to "empty" over time.

“Blank” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Blank” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: free of writing, marks, or content; empty.

"Blank" usually describes a surface that has no writing, marks, or content on it, such as a blank page or screen. "Empty" describes something with nothing inside it, like an empty box, so a page can be blank while a container is empty.

"Blank" means free of any writing, marks, or content, while "plain" means simple or without decoration but not necessarily empty. A plain page could still have text on it; a blank page has none.

"Blank" emphasises the absence of marks or content on a surface, while "clear" often emphasises the absence of obstruction or the quality of being easy to see through. A form can be blank (unfilled) but a sky is clear (unclouded).