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boilerplate
[boi-ler-pleyt]
noun
plating of iron or steel for making the shells of boilers, covering the hulls of ships, etc.
Journalism.
syndicated or ready-to-print copy, used especially by weekly newspapers.
trite, hackneyed writing.
the detailed standard wording of a contract, warranty, etc.
Informal.phrases or units of text used repeatedly, as in correspondence produced by a word-processing system.
frozen, crusty, hard-packed snow, often with icy patches.
boilerplate
/ ˈɔɪəˌɪ /
noun
a form of mild-steel plate used in the production of boiler shells
a copy made with the intention of making other copies from it
a set of instructions incorporated in several places in a computer program or a standard form of words used repeatedly in drafting contracts, guarantees, etc
a draft contract that can easily be modified to cover various types of transaction
verb
to incorporate standard material automatically in a text
Word History and Origins
Origin of boilerplate1
Example Sentences
If your visa is refused, you’ll be handed a boilerplate notice stating that the decision is final and cannot be appealed.
In a four-star review, the Independent said Nelson-Joyce's "conflicted gangster" and the show's "moral ambivalence" elevated it "above the average boilerplate crime drama".
But it turned out that the triggering keywords may have come from boilerplate language that describes the specific NSF program that funded Boyer’s work: Strengthening American Infrastructure.
Each episode opens with actors, in character, reciting as much of the production’s very real legal, C.Y.A. boilerplate as they choose.
That’s a pretty serving of boilerplate, but it’s obviously in conflict with its “pause,” since placing the well-being of all its patients conflicts with its decision to bow, even if temporarily, to Trump’s orders.
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When To Use
A boilerplate is text that will be used repeatedly, often word for word, and relied on as standard wording.Boilerplate is commonly used to describe the repeated wording a company or an organization will use in all of its contracts, press releases, or similar documents, as in The buyer foolishly ignored the boilerplate at the end of the legal agreement.It can also be used as a modifier, as in boilerplate language.While boilerplates will be different depending on who’s using them, the idea behind them is to have an easy-to-use standard or pattern (template) that can be easily copied for reuse over and over. Often, someone will make small changes to the boilerplate or fill in blanks left for this purpose rather than use the exact boilerplate.Because boilerplates are designed to be easily reused, the term boilerplate is sometimes mockingly used to label an answer or explanation as a canned response that a person didn’t even think about.Boilerplate was originally used (and still is) to refer to a mass-produced iron or steel plating used for the shells of boilers or other machinery.Boilerplate can also be spelled boiler plate.Example: All of the company’s press releases ended with a boilerplate containing the company motto and a detailed outline of its products and services.
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