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
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
Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
His international slate has included Rupert Everett’s Oscar Wilde biopic The Happy Prince (2018), the 2013 Berlin Golden Bear winner Child’s Pose from Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer and Benedikt Erlingsson’s Icelandic dramedy Woman at War (2018).
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2025
Freeing up storage capacity could potentially allow the city to produce more than the 30 million gallons per day that the Phase One purification plant in western Miramar is slated to produce.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slate
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Noun
The arms of the sofa are easily let out with a simple slate system.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
His international slate has included Rupert Everett’s Oscar Wilde biopic The Happy Prince (2018), the 2013 Berlin Golden Bear winner Child’s Pose from Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer and Benedikt Erlingsson’s Icelandic dramedy Woman at War (2018).
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
It's slated to receive the LEED Platinum green building standard and 97% of demolition materials have been recycled, reused, or upcycled during construction.
—New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2025
Freeing up storage capacity could potentially allow the city to produce more than the 30 million gallons per day that the Phase One purification plant in western Miramar is slated to produce.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 2025.
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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