template

noun

tem·​plate ˈtem-plət How to pronounce template (audio) -ˌplāt How to pronounce template (audio)
1
a(1)
: a gauge, pattern, or mold (such as a thin plate or board) used as a guide to the form of a piece being made
(2)
: a molecule (as of DNA) that serves as a pattern for the generation of another macromolecule (such as messenger RNA)
b
: overlay sense c
2
: something that establishes or serves as a pattern
3
: a short piece or block placed horizontally in a wall under a beam to distribute its weight or pressure (as over a door)

Examples of template in a Sentence

The software includes templates for common marketing documents like pamphlets and flyers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With their conceit, the clout chasers have turned his courage into a template without asking what made the original worth copying. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Nvidia was back at record highs by June 25, 2025, yet every efficiency headline since has been read through the January template, including the scare the market relived this July around Moonshot AI's Kimi K3. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Age aside, the unprecedented primary challenging Larson may offer a template for future candidates who are looking to navigate Connecticut’s strict ballot access laws. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026 The game’s template solidified over the course of four Game Changer installments, doled out once per season until Make Some Noise became a stand-alone show in 2022. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for template

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier templet in same senses (by assimilation to plate entry 1), of uncertain origin

Note: The form templet has been compared with French templet "implement on a loom for stretching cloth during weaving," a diminutive of temple in the same sense, though there is no apparent explanation for the very dissimilar senses. The relation of sense 3 (attested earlier) to sense 1 is unclear.

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of template was in 1549

Rhymes for template

See All Rhymes for template

Browse Nearby Words

Templary
template
template excavator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Template.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/template. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

template

noun
tem·​plate ˈtem-plət How to pronounce template (audio)
1
: a gauge, pattern, or mold (as a thin plate or board) used as a guide to the form of a piece being made
2
: something that establishes or serves as a pattern

Medical Definition

template

noun
tem·​plate ˈtem-plət How to pronounce template (audio)
1
also templet : a gauge, pattern, or mold used as a guide to the form of a piece being made
2
: a molecule (as of DNA) that serves as a pattern for the synthesis of another macromolecule (as messenger RNA)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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