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blank slate

[/blæŋk sleɪt/]
nounpl: blank slates
tábula rasa
1. A person or thing regarded as lacking any distinguishing characteristics or existing in an initial, unmodified state; a mind or situation without preconceived ideas or previous experience
The new employee was a blank slate, ready to learn our company culture.
O novo funcionário era uma tábula rasa, pronto para aprender a cultura da nossa empresa.
2. An opportunity to start fresh or begin anew without prior constraints or history
Moving to a new city gave her a blank slate to reinvent herself.
Mudar-se para uma nova cidade lhe deu uma tábula rasa para se reinventar.
Synonyms
clean slatefresh starttabula rasaempty canvasunwritten page
Antonyms
established recordbaggagepreconceptionsprior experience

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
tábula rasa
Most common formal translation
General Brazilian
folha em branco
Colloquial translation meaning 'blank page'
Portugal
tábula rasa
Formal and preferred usage
General
começar do zero
Idiomatic expression meaning 'start from scratch'

Related Idioms & Phrases

a blank slate to work with
start with a blank slate
wipe the slate clean
a clean slate
fresh canvas
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