tabula rasa
Say it: TAB-yuh-luh RAH-zuh /ˌtæbjʊlə ˈrɑːzə/ · noun phrase
What “tabula rasa” means
A fresh start, not yet shaped by past experience.
More precisely: A clean slate; a mind or situation not yet shaped by experience.
When to use it
Use it for an unshaped mind or a completely fresh beginning. It sounds philosophical, though people also use it metaphorically.
Memory trick
Latin for “scraped tablet”: wax tablets could be smoothed clean and reused.
Similar words
clean slate, fresh start, blank page
Where it comes from
Latin, 'scraped tablet', a wax writing tablet wiped clean.
Quick check
A philosopher imagines a newborn mind with no ideas yet, ready to be shaped by experience. That mind is…
a tabula rasa or an old soul?
Show the answer
a tabula rasa
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