Black[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
is the darkest color, the result of the absence or complete [/BGCOLOR]
absorption[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
of [/BGCOLOR]
visible[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)] [/BGCOLOR]
light[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
. It is an achromatic color, a color without [/BGCOLOR]
hue[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
, like [/BGCOLOR]
white[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
and [/BGCOLOR]
gray[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
.[/BGCOLOR][SUP]
[1][/SUP][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
It is often used [/BGCOLOR]
symbolically[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
or [/BGCOLOR]
figuratively[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
to represent darkness, while [/BGCOLOR]
white[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
represents light.[/BGCOLOR][SUP]
[2][/SUP][BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
Black and white have often been used to describe opposites such as [/BGCOLOR]
good[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
and [/BGCOLOR]
evil[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
, the [/BGCOLOR]
Dark Ages[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
versus [/BGCOLOR]
Age of Enlightenment[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
, and [/BGCOLOR]
night[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
versus [/BGCOLOR]
day[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
. Since the [/BGCOLOR]
Middle Ages[BGCOLOR=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
, black has been the symbolic color of solemnity and authority, and for this reason is still commonly[/BGCOLOR]