"white space" meaning in English

See white space in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈwaɪtˌspeɪs/ [UK] Forms: white spaces [plural]
Rhymes: -eɪs Etymology: * (free time): Suggesting unfilled spaces on a calendar or schedule. Etymology templates: {{sense|free time}} (free time): Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} white space (countable and uncountable, plural white spaces)
  1. White area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page or computer display; blanks and the vertical blank lines in between paragraphs, or other organized rows of text lines (poetry). Tags: countable, uncountable Translations (white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page): bílé místo [neuter] (Czech), tyhjä tila (Finnish), Leerraum [masculine] (German), bil [neuter] (Icelandic), hvítbil [neuter] (Icelandic), biały znak [masculine] (Polish), espaço em branco [masculine] (Portuguese)
    Sense id: en-white_space-en-noun-jaWKOuPf Disambiguation of 'white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page': 78 9 13
  2. (computer science, uncountable) A contiguous collection of one or more characters that each represents horizontal or vertical space in typography. Tags: uncountable Categories (topical): Computer science
    Sense id: en-white_space-en-noun-rTjDjdeY Topics: computer, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, science, sciences
  3. (business) Free time seen as an opportunity for gainful activity. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Business Translations (single character or series of characters): bílý znak [masculine] (Czech), bílé znaky [masculine, plural] (Czech), tyhjätilamerkki (Finnish), Leerzeichen [neuter] (German), bil [neuter] (Icelandic), hvítbil [neuter] (Icelandic), белина (belina) [feminine] (Macedonian), biały znak [masculine] (Polish)
    Sense id: en-white_space-en-noun-YdpBgIkz Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 11 14 75 Topics: business Disambiguation of 'single character or series of characters': 21 26 53
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: whitespace
Related terms: negative space, apostrophe (alt: '; ’), curly brackets, brace (alt: { }) [US], square bracket, bracket (alt: [ ]) [US], colon (alt: :), comma (alt: ,), dash (alt: ‒; –; —; ―), ellipsis (alt: ), exclamation mark (alt: !), fraction slash (alt: ), guillemet (alt: « »; ‹ ›), hyphen (alt: -; ‐), interpunct (alt: ·), interrobang (alt: ) [rare], bracket, parentheses (US, Canada) (alt: ( )), full stop, period (alt: .) [Canada, US], question mark (alt: ?), quotation marks (alt: ‘ ’ ‚; „) [formal], quotation marks (alt: "; ') [informal] [computing, engineering, mathematics, sciences, physical-sciences, natural-sciences], semicolon (alt: ;), slash, stroke (alt: /) [UK], space (alt: ] [)

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for white space meaning in English (8.4kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "free time"
      },
      "expansion": "(free time):",
      "name": "sense"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "* (free time): Suggesting unfilled spaces on a calendar or schedule.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "white spaces",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "white space (countable and uncountable, plural white spaces)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "word": "negative space"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "'; ’",
      "word": "apostrophe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "word": "curly brackets"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "{ }",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "brace"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "word": "square bracket"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "[ ]",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "bracket"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": ":",
      "word": "colon"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": ",",
      "word": "comma"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "‒; –; —; ―",
      "word": "dash"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "…",
      "word": "ellipsis"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "!",
      "word": "exclamation mark"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "⁄",
      "word": "fraction slash"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "« »; ‹ ›",
      "word": "guillemet"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "-; ‐",
      "word": "hyphen"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "·",
      "word": "interpunct"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "‽",
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "word": "interrobang"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "word": "bracket"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "word": "parentheses (US"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "( )",
      "word": "Canada)"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "word": "full stop"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": ".",
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "period"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "?",
      "word": "question mark"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "‘ ’ ‚; „",
      "tags": [
        "formal"
      ],
      "word": "quotation marks"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "\"; '",
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "natural-sciences"
      ],
      "word": "quotation marks"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": ";",
      "word": "semicolon"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "word": "slash"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "word": "stroke"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "alt": "] [",
      "word": "space"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "White area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page or computer display; blanks and the vertical blank lines in between paragraphs, or other organized rows of text lines (poetry)."
      ],
      "id": "en-white_space-en-noun-jaWKOuPf",
      "links": [
        [
          "blank",
          "blank"
        ],
        [
          "vertical",
          "vertical"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "78 9 13",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "bílé místo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 9 13",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
          "word": "tyhjä tila"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 9 13",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Leerraum"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 9 13",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "bil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 9 13",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "hvítbil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 9 13",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "biały znak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 9 13",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "espaço em branco"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Computer science",
          "orig": "en:Computer science",
          "parents": [
            "Computing",
            "Sciences",
            "Technology",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A contiguous collection of one or more characters that each represents horizontal or vertical space in typography."
      ],
      "id": "en-white_space-en-noun-rTjDjdeY",
      "links": [
        [
          "computer science",
          "computer science"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(computer science, uncountable) A contiguous collection of one or more characters that each represents horizontal or vertical space in typography."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computer",
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "science",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Business",
          "orig": "en:Business",
          "parents": [
            "Economics",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 14 75",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2018 November 2, Irving Wladawsky-Berger, “It’s All About Business Model Innovation, not New Technology”, in The Wall Street Journal",
          "text": "[…] successful companies are often risk averse and reluctant to go into uncharted white spaces that might require new strengths and whole new business models. […] What does it take to go after a white space, that is, a brand new business opportunity? It all depends on the nature of the opportunity and on the nature of the customers being served. It’s best explained by contrasting core, adjacent, and white space opportunities.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019 April 30, Meg Whitman, “explaining the Quibi business model”, in CNBC",
          "text": "We’re gonna go after a white space, which is very high quality content in this short form, bringing together the best of Hollywood and the best of Silicon Valley.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 August 11, Rodger Dean Duncan, “Feel Burnout Approaching? You Could Use Some ‘White Space’”, in Forbes",
          "text": "Duncan: How can people get in the habit of using what you call white space to reboot their exhausted minds?\nFunt: Let’s define it first. White space is the open time, the stepping back, the strategic pause; it’s the oxygen that allows our efforts to catch fire. […] Instead of perusing impossible stretches of white space in a packed day, we look for tiny opportunities to insert an interstitial second or two- a little wedge of white space. These sips of open time can be used to reboot, to gain objectivity or to digest the intense portions of information we’re fed all day.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Free time seen as an opportunity for gainful activity."
      ],
      "id": "en-white_space-en-noun-YdpBgIkz",
      "links": [
        [
          "business",
          "business"
        ],
        [
          "Free time",
          "free time"
        ],
        [
          "opportunity",
          "opportunity"
        ],
        [
          "gainful",
          "gainful"
        ],
        [
          "activity",
          "activity"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(business) Free time seen as an opportunity for gainful activity."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "business"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "21 26 53",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "single character or series of characters",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "bílý znak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "21 26 53",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "single character or series of characters",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "bílé znaky"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "21 26 53",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "single character or series of characters",
          "word": "tyhjätilamerkki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "21 26 53",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "single character or series of characters",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Leerzeichen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "21 26 53",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "single character or series of characters",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "bil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "21 26 53",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "single character or series of characters",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "hvítbil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "21 26 53",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "belina",
          "sense": "single character or series of characters",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "белина"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "21 26 53",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "single character or series of characters",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "biały znak"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwaɪtˌspeɪs/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪs"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47 0",
      "word": "whitespace"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "white space"
  ],
  "word": "white space"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "free time"
      },
      "expansion": "(free time):",
      "name": "sense"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "* (free time): Suggesting unfilled spaces on a calendar or schedule.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "white spaces",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "white space (countable and uncountable, plural white spaces)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "negative space"
    },
    {
      "alt": "'; ’",
      "word": "apostrophe"
    },
    {
      "word": "curly brackets"
    },
    {
      "alt": "{ }",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "brace"
    },
    {
      "word": "square bracket"
    },
    {
      "alt": "[ ]",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "bracket"
    },
    {
      "alt": ":",
      "word": "colon"
    },
    {
      "alt": ",",
      "word": "comma"
    },
    {
      "alt": "‒; –; —; ―",
      "word": "dash"
    },
    {
      "alt": "…",
      "word": "ellipsis"
    },
    {
      "alt": "!",
      "word": "exclamation mark"
    },
    {
      "alt": "⁄",
      "word": "fraction slash"
    },
    {
      "alt": "« »; ‹ ›",
      "word": "guillemet"
    },
    {
      "alt": "-; ‐",
      "word": "hyphen"
    },
    {
      "alt": "·",
      "word": "interpunct"
    },
    {
      "alt": "‽",
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
      "word": "interrobang"
    },
    {
      "word": "bracket"
    },
    {
      "word": "parentheses (US"
    },
    {
      "alt": "( )",
      "word": "Canada)"
    },
    {
      "word": "full stop"
    },
    {
      "alt": ".",
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US"
      ],
      "word": "period"
    },
    {
      "alt": "?",
      "word": "question mark"
    },
    {
      "alt": "‘ ’ ‚; „",
      "tags": [
        "formal"
      ],
      "word": "quotation marks"
    },
    {
      "alt": "\"; '",
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "natural-sciences"
      ],
      "word": "quotation marks"
    },
    {
      "alt": ";",
      "word": "semicolon"
    },
    {
      "word": "slash"
    },
    {
      "alt": "/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "word": "stroke"
    },
    {
      "alt": "] [",
      "word": "space"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "White area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page or computer display; blanks and the vertical blank lines in between paragraphs, or other organized rows of text lines (poetry)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "blank",
          "blank"
        ],
        [
          "vertical",
          "vertical"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English uncountable nouns",
        "en:Computer science"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A contiguous collection of one or more characters that each represents horizontal or vertical space in typography."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "computer science",
          "computer science"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(computer science, uncountable) A contiguous collection of one or more characters that each represents horizontal or vertical space in typography."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computer",
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "science",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Business"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2018 November 2, Irving Wladawsky-Berger, “It’s All About Business Model Innovation, not New Technology”, in The Wall Street Journal",
          "text": "[…] successful companies are often risk averse and reluctant to go into uncharted white spaces that might require new strengths and whole new business models. […] What does it take to go after a white space, that is, a brand new business opportunity? It all depends on the nature of the opportunity and on the nature of the customers being served. It’s best explained by contrasting core, adjacent, and white space opportunities.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019 April 30, Meg Whitman, “explaining the Quibi business model”, in CNBC",
          "text": "We’re gonna go after a white space, which is very high quality content in this short form, bringing together the best of Hollywood and the best of Silicon Valley.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 August 11, Rodger Dean Duncan, “Feel Burnout Approaching? You Could Use Some ‘White Space’”, in Forbes",
          "text": "Duncan: How can people get in the habit of using what you call white space to reboot their exhausted minds?\nFunt: Let’s define it first. White space is the open time, the stepping back, the strategic pause; it’s the oxygen that allows our efforts to catch fire. […] Instead of perusing impossible stretches of white space in a packed day, we look for tiny opportunities to insert an interstitial second or two- a little wedge of white space. These sips of open time can be used to reboot, to gain objectivity or to digest the intense portions of information we’re fed all day.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Free time seen as an opportunity for gainful activity."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "business",
          "business"
        ],
        [
          "Free time",
          "free time"
        ],
        [
          "opportunity",
          "opportunity"
        ],
        [
          "gainful",
          "gainful"
        ],
        [
          "activity",
          "activity"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(business) Free time seen as an opportunity for gainful activity."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "business"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwaɪtˌspeɪs/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪs"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "whitespace"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "bílé místo"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
      "word": "tyhjä tila"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Leerraum"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "bil"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "hvítbil"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "biały znak"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "white area between written characters and graphic regions on a produced page",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "espaço em branco"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "single character or series of characters",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bílý znak"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "single character or series of characters",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "bílé znaky"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "single character or series of characters",
      "word": "tyhjätilamerkki"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "single character or series of characters",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Leerzeichen"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "single character or series of characters",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "bil"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "single character or series of characters",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "hvítbil"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "belina",
      "sense": "single character or series of characters",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "белина"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "single character or series of characters",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "biały znak"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "white space"
  ],
  "word": "white space"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.