noun
whiteboard
WITE-bord
Whiteboard (noun) means a board with a hard white surface that people write on with special markers and wipe clean. Example: “He drew a diagram on the whiteboard to explain the plan.”
noun
1
A board with a hard white surface that people write on with special markers and wipe clean.
"He drew a diagram on the whiteboard to explain the plan."
"Remember to wipe the whiteboard clean before the next meeting."
"The classroom whiteboard was covered in half-erased notes."
2
A shared online tool that lets several people write and draw on the same display together.
"The team sketched the new layout on a shared whiteboard during the video call."
"She pinned the sticky notes to the virtual whiteboard for everyone to see."
"We used an online whiteboard to plan the project remotely."
verb
1
informal To sketch out or work through ideas together on a whiteboard.
"Let's whiteboard the new process before we write any code."
"The engineers whiteboarded a few options before choosing one."
"They spent an hour whiteboarding the system architecture."
How to use whiteboard
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA whiteboard is a wipeable board for writing on, or the shared digital version of one used online.
When to use it
The noun is fully standard, while the verb use is more informal and common in workplace speech.
Memory tip
Think of it as blackboard's opposite in colour, but used the same way, with markers instead of chalk.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
write on a whiteboard
wipe the whiteboard clean
a virtual whiteboard
whiteboard a plan
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He drew a diagram on the _____ to explain the plan.
Etymology
Whiteboard was formed from white and board, following the pattern of the earlier word blackboard.
Rhymes for whiteboard
board
hoard
aboard
onboard
keyboard
cupboard
outboard
seaboard
backboard
starboard
cardboard
surfboard
See all rhymes for whiteboard →
Frequently asked questions
What is a whiteboard?
A whiteboard is a board with a smooth white surface that people write on with special markers and then wipe clean.
What does whiteboard mean in computing?
In computing, a whiteboard is a shared digital display that lets several users write and draw together at the same time.
Can whiteboard be used as a verb?
Yes, to whiteboard means to sketch out or talk through ideas together, usually on a physical or virtual whiteboard.
What is the meaning of whiteboard?
"whiteboard" (noun) means a board with a hard white surface that people write on with special markers and wipe clean.
