1
: a piece of construction material (such as laminated rock) prepared as a shingle for roofing and siding
2
: a dense fine-grained metamorphic rock produced by the compression of various sediments (such as clay or shale) so as to develop a characteristic cleavage
3
: a tablet (as of slate) used for writing on
4
a
: a written or unwritten record (as of deeds)
started with a clean slate
b
: a list of candidates for nomination or election
5
a
: a dark purplish gray
b
: any of various grays similar in color to common roofing slates
slate
adjective
slated; slating
1
: to cover (something) with slate or a slatelike substance
slate a roof
2
: to designate (someone or something) for a specified purpose or action occurring especially at a fixed time
was slated to direct the play
The new model is slated [=scheduled] for release early next year.
slated; slating
1
: to thrash or pummel severely
2
chiefly British
: to criticize or censure severely
Synonyms of slate
Examples of slate in a Sentence
Noun
Some school blackboards are made of slate.
The house has a slate roof.
Verb (1)
you've been slated for a three o'clock interview
Verb (2)
ready to slate anyone who disagreed
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
While the industry is still rebounding since Covid-19 slowed audiences, a strong release slate in 2026 could give theaters their best year since the pandemic, a Comscore spokesperson told CNN.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
Some money was slated to support OpenAI’s artificial intelligence infrastructure Stargate joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The biggest takeaway from the slate of Week 17 is that two divisions in the NFL — the AFC North and NFC South — will be determined by whoever wins key matchups in Week 18.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
While the industry is still rebounding since Covid-19 slowed audiences, a strong release slate in 2026 could give theaters their best year since the pandemic, a Comscore spokesperson told CNN.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Verb
If all goes to plan, orders are slated to ship worldwide in April 2026, and delivery costs – which are listed on the campaign page and vary by your location – will be settled once the campaign ends.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
Some money was slated to support OpenAI’s artificial intelligence infrastructure Stargate joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slate
Cite this Entry
“Slate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slate. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slate
1 of 2 noun1
: a piece of construction material (as layered rock) prepared as a shingle for roofing and siding
2
: a dense fine-grained rock formed by compression of shales or other rocks that splits readily into thin layers or plates
3
: a tablet of material (as slate) used for writing on
4
a
: a written or unwritten record (as of deeds)
started with a clean slate
b
: a list of candidates for nomination or election
5
a
: a dark purplish gray
b
: a gray similar in color to common roofing slate
slate
adjective
slate
2 of 2 verb
slated; slating
1
: to cover with slate or a slatelike substance
slate a roof
2
: to register or schedule for a special purpose or action
slate a meeting
slater
noun
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