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Whitewash is a noun that refers to the act of deliberately concealing or portraying something in a misleading or favorable light, often to conceal the truth or protect one's reputation. It can also be used as a verb, indicating the action of whitewashing.
As a noun, whitewash commonly denotes a cover-up or an attempt to gloss over facts in order to present a more favorable or less damaging version of events. It implies the intentional distortion of truth, thereby often misleading or deceiving others. This term can frequently be associated with politics, where individuals or organizations attempt to obfuscate or manipulate facts to preserve their image or avoid accountability.
When used as a verb, whitewash means to provide a false or overly positive representation of an event, an individual, or a situation, in order to camouflage negative aspects or to evade responsibility. It involves the deliberate act of sanitizing information, omitting unpleasant details or exaggerating positive elements to create a falsely positive narrative.
The term whitewash has origins in the practice of painting walls with a lime-based whitewash, which can effectively cover up and conceal imperfections or stains. Metaphorically, it has come to represent deliberate attempts to hide the truth or create a façade of innocence or righteousness.
In summary, whitewash can be defined as the intentional act of concealing or distorting facts and information, presenting a misleading or favorable outlook to mislead or protect one's reputation.
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• A liquid composition of slaked lime or whitening for making a large surface white, such as the walls of a house; a wash for making the skin fair.
• To cover with a liquid composition of slaked lime or of whitening; to give a fair external appearance to; familiarly, to clear a bankrupt of the debts he owes by a judicial process; to acquit a person of any dishonourable charge.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word "whitewash" has its origins in the Old English word "hwīt", meaning "white", and "wæscan", meaning "to wash". The word was first recorded in the English language around the 16th century. "Whitewash" originally referred to the act of applying a mixture of lime and water or chalk to walls or fences to create a white coating. Over time, the term gained figurative usage, referring to the act of covering up or glossing over something controversial or undesirable, in order to present a favorable or false appearance. This metaphorical sense of "whitewashing" emerged in the late 18th century.
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