What does "template" mean?
A physical object whose shape is used as a guide to make other objects.
Template
/ˈtɛm.plɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A physical object whose shape is used as a guide to make other objects.
- Grammar: template is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: a-line skirt pattern, abstract framework, analysis framework, analysis method.
- Useful contrasts: ad hoc, customize, deviate.
- Usage evidence: C++0x will admit template functions that take an arbitrary number of arguments.
How to use "template"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "template" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "template" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "template" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "template" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "template" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a-line skirt pattern" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "template", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A physical object whose shape is used as a guide to make other objects.
- 2 a model or standard for making comparisons wordnet
- 3 A generic model or pattern from which other objects are based or derived.
"Gaelic also benefits from having a readily available template for Celtic minority language revitalisation, derived from Welsh and Irish."
- 4 A file or document serving as a basis for others.
- 5 A macromolecule which provides a pattern for the synthesis of another molecule.
"Classically, the functional product of coding genes is a protein whose synthesis is directed by an mRNA-template."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A partially defined class or function, that can be instantiated in a variety of ways depending on the instantiation arguments.
- 7 A strip of metal used in boiler-making, pierced with a series of holes, and serving as a guide in marking out a line of rivet-holes.
- 8 Synonym of temple.
"The template length is adjusted to the proper fabric width. Then the sharp pins in the template ends are hooked into the selvedge edges (with the template open)."
Verb
- 1 To set up or mark off using a template.
"Only that part of the floor timber that bears on the planking and keel need be templated; […]"
- 2 To provide a template or pattern for.
"Metal phosphates that are templated by transition-metal complexes are rare."
- 3 To synthesize by means of a template. transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"C++0x will admit template functions that take an arbitrary number of arguments."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "template"?
Common synonyms include: a-line skirt pattern, abstract framework, analysis framework, analysis method, apply, archetypes.
How do you use "template" in a sentence?
C++0x will admit template functions that take an arbitrary number of arguments.
How do you pronounce "template"?
Pronounced /ˈtɛm.plɪt/.
Etymology
Alteration of templet, probably from French templet, diminutive of temple (“a weaver's stretcher”), variant of tempe, from Latin tempora (“temple”). Alteration of second syllable due to analogy with plate. Cognate with Faroese tamba (“to stretch out, relax”), Icelandic þamb (“a stretched, bloated, or extended belly”).