white-space
Text
Controls how spaces and line breaks are handled; nowrap keeps everything on one line.
| How to write it | white-space: normal; |
|---|---|
| Common values | normal, nowrap, pre, pre-wrap |
| Inherited | Yes — children receive it |
| Category | Text |
How to read this
- An inherited property only needs writing once on the parent — every child picks it up. Most text properties work this way.
- A shorthand resets whatever you leave out. Writing background: red alone also wipes a background image you set earlier.
- When rules collide, the more specific selector wins; only when specificity ties does source order decide.
- Animate transform and opacity for smoothness. Changing width or top forces the layout to be recalculated.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What is the CSS white-space property?
Controls how spaces and line breaks are handled; nowrap keeps everything on one line.
Q. How do you write white-space?
As white-space: normal; Common values include normal, nowrap, pre, pre-wrap.
Q. Is white-space inherited?
Yes. Set it once on the parent and every child uses the same value without repeating it.
Q. What group does white-space belong to?
The text group.