noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English derknesse, from Old English deorcnysse, from deorc dark + -nysse -ness — more at dark
: the quality or state of being dark: as
a. : the absence in part or in whole of light : blackness , gloom
the darkness of night
the darkness of a cave
b.
(1) : absence of moral, religious, or cultural values : spiritual backwardness : ignorance
peoples living in darkness and superstition
(2) : wickedness , iniquity
the powers of darkness
c. : deprivation of sight : blindness
d. : dark quality in shade or color
the somber darkness of pines — American Guide Series: Vermont
e. : privacy , secrecy
questions of policy kept in darkness
f.
(1) : lack of clarity : obscurity
the darkness of certain passages in a text
(2) : imperfect vision or understanding
fanatical darkness of a mind that glimpsed light but could not win it — Carlos Baker
g.
(1) : distress caused by misfortune or affliction : trouble
my personal life had taken a turn towards darkness — Karl Polanyi
(2) : gloom
Brahms songs, with their decided darkness of mood — Irving Kolodin