tabula rasa
Originating from Latin, 'tabula rasa' translates to 'blank slate' and is widely used in philosophy and psychology to describe a mind free from preconceptions.
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Definition
C1Philosophy
(academic, technical)A concept suggesting the human mind is born without innate ideas, with all knowledge coming from experience and perception.
Example
- John Locke argued that the human mind is a tabula rasa at birth, shaped entirely by experience.
C1Psychology
(academic)The idea that the mind starts as a blank slate, with no pre-existing knowledge or ideas.
Example
- Developmental psychologists often debate the extent to which a child's mind is a tabula rasa.
B2General
(informal)A state or condition where something is completely new and unaffected by previous experiences.
Example
- After moving to a new city, she saw it as a tabula rasa, a chance to start fresh.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "tabula rasa":