template

American  

[tem-plit] / ˈtɛm plɪt /

Or templet

noun

• templates
  plural

1. a pattern, mold, or the like, usually consisting of a thin plate of wood or metal, serving as a gauge or guide in mechanical work.

2. anything that determines or serves as a pattern; a model.

   You can use my notes as a template for employee evaluations.

3. Building Trades. a horizontal piece, as of timber or stone, in a wall, to receive and distribute the pressure of a girder, beam, or the like.

4. Shipbuilding. either of two wedges in each of the temporary blocks forming the support for the keel of a ship while building.

5. Aerial Photogrammetry. any object having lines, slots, or straightedges to represent lines radiating from the center of a photograph, used for graphic triangulation.

6. Genetics. a strand of DNA or RNA that serves as a pattern for the synthesis of a complementary strand of nucleic acid or protein.

7. Computers.

   1. a small sheet or strip of cardboard, plastic, or the like, that fits over a portion of the keyboard and provides ready reference to the keystroke commands of a particular software program.

   2. an electronic file with a predesigned, customized format and structure, as for a fax, letter, or expense report, ready to be filled in.

8. Also called safe. a marble base for a toilet.

---

template British  

/ ˈtɛmplɪt /

noun

1. a gauge or pattern, cut out in wood or metal, used in woodwork, etc, to help shape something accurately

2. a pattern cut out in card or plastic, used in various crafts to reproduce shapes

3. a short beam, made of metal, wood, or stone, that is used to spread a load, as over a doorway

4. biochem the molecular structure of a compound that serves as a pattern for the production of the molecular structure of another specific compound in a reaction

---

template Scientific  

/ tĕm′plĭt /

1. A molecule of a nucleic acid, such as DNA, that serves as a pattern for the synthesis of another molecule of a nucleic acid.

---

Usage

What does template mean? A template is a pattern, model, or guide for the creation of some kind of project. Template is most commonly used in a general way, but it has many specific meanings depending on the context it is being used in. Example: When creating your résumé, don’t start from scratch—use a template so that you can make sure you format it properly.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• templates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of template

1670–80; alteration of templet, apparently by falsely etymologizing final syllable as plate ¹

Explanation

A template is a model or a guide for producing something. When you build your website, you might use a free template, filling in your own text and images. Template has a few different meanings, but the most common one is as a pattern that can be used in building or reproducing something. If you are designing costumes for a production of Shakespeare, you might use the design of one of Queen Elizabeth's dresses as a template to work from. In building, a template is a block of wood that goes under a door or a wall to distribute weight.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

template templates

But seeking a distinct, permanent identity for their fandom, dubbed "VIPs", band leader G-Dragon proposed a handheld yellow crown, setting the template for custom concert merchandise.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

The Unmanned Systems Forces can serve as a template as the U.S. and Europe catch up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Meanwhile, the cost of an online will template can range from free to around $100, with additional charges for a review by a lawyer associated with the company offering the template.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Meta framed the deal as a template for the rest of the industry and pressed its competitors to match it.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Conceptually, it was thus very easy to visualize how a single chain could be the template for the synthesis of a chain with the complementary sequence.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Before templates and triple captains there was a world of fantasy football that existed by writing out your XI and ringing in the names.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

"Most likely, they're relying on boilerplate templates which can be detected by large language models that analyze patterns in texts," Professor Barnett said.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026

The Vaughan and Athenaeum portraits were an immediate hit and became the templates: Over time, Stuart would paint over 100 of them, including for such international luminaries as Viscount Cremorne, Benjamin West and Aaron Burr.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

There are plenty of free budgeting apps, free balance-sheet templates, free retirement calculators and free YouTube tutorials.

From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026

They worshipped figures in Staff God poses, lived in networks of vertical exchange, and had public architecture with designs based on templates from the coast.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• arrangement