tabula rasa

[ tab-yuh-luh rah-suh, -zuh, rey-; Latin tah-boo-lah rah-sah ]

noun

, plural ta·bu·lae ra·sae [tab, -y, uh, -lee , rah, -see, -zee, rey, -, tah, -b, oo, -lahy , rah, -sahy].

1. a mind not yet affected by experiences, impressions, etc.
2. anything existing undisturbed in its original pure state.

tabula rasa

/ ˈtæbjʊlə ˈrɑːsə /

noun

1. (esp in the philosophy of Locke) the mind in its uninformed original state
2. an opportunity for a fresh start; clean slate

tabula rasa

1. Something new, fresh, unmarked, or uninfluenced. Tabula rasa is Latin for “blank slate.”

Notes

John Locke believed that a child's mind was a tabula rasa.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tabula rasa¹

First recorded in 1525–35, tabula rasa is from Latin tabula rāsa “scraped tablet, clean slate”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tabula rasa¹

Latin: a scraped tablet (one from which the writing has been erased)

Example Sentences

Her desire for a global tabula rasa outstrips that of even the most fanatical Red Guards, who still dominate her mental landscape.

From New York Times

Each of these, Pythagoras to Euclid, could be counted as a tabula rasa.

From Washington Post

“There is a myth of flexibility, and galleries expect to have a tabula rasa,” Gluckman said in a phone interview.

From New York Times

In the 17th century John Locke rejected this idea, insisting that the human mind begins as a tabula rasa, or blank slate, with almost all knowledge acquired through experience.

From Scientific American

In part, it is how pioneering South Bronx resident groups like Banana Kelly spared their neighborhood from tabula rasa schemes by outside politicians and planners when the neighborhood was burning.

From New York Times