boilerplate

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(boi'lər-plāt') pronunciation
n.
  1. A steel plate used in making the shells of steam boilers.
  2. Journalistic material, such as syndicated features, available in plate or mat form.
  3. Inconsequential, formulaic, or stereotypical language: The new provisions of the lease renewal were merely boilerplate.



1. standardized or preprinted form for agreements.


2. standardized language, as on a printed form containing the terms of a lease or sales contract, often phrased to the advantage of the party furnishing the form, with the expectation that the contract will be signed without being carefully examined.

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Standard language found in contracts. Preprinted material.


Example: Collins decided to lease her property. At a stationery store she finds a preprinted boilerplate form. She fills in rental rates and dates in the blank places, then asks her tenant, Baker, to sign the lease.

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This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A description of uniform language used normally in legal documents that has a definite, unvarying meaning in the same context that denotes that the words have not been individually fashioned to address the legal issue presented.

The standardization of a legal document's structure and language. This leads to quicker and more efficient practices in terms of the filling out and processing of documents.

Most often used in contracts, prospectuses and indentures.

Investopedia Says:
An example would be a bank having a standard contract for everyone who applies for a home loan.

Boilerplates are rarely changed and, due to their standard nature, parties involved in the agreement aren't usually misled.

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Learn to decipher the secret language of the prospectus - it can tell you a lot about a company's future. Don't Forget To Read The Prospectus!
Learn about this warning sign and how to spot it in a company's financial statements. Red Flag Phrases: "Material Adverse Effect"
These group calls offer investors a chance to hear management respond to analysts' hard-hitting questions. How these CEOs respond to tough questions often reveals more than the numbers ever can. Conference Call Basics


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categories related to 'boilerplate'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to boilerplate, see:

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Boilerplate may refer to:

Technologies

  • Boilerplate, relatively thick, high quality sheet steel used in the construction of a boiler
  • Boilerplate (robot), fictional combat robot of the Victorian era and early 20th century, created in 2000 by artist Paul Guinan
  • Boilerplate prototype, a broadly working prototype that is constructed from cheaper or simpler materials. This was often applied to unarmoured tanks made of only soft steel, but it has also been applied to non-flyable engineering demonstrations of aircraft or spacecraft, built on simple steel frames rather than lightweight aerospace materials.
  • Boilerplate (spaceflight), non-functional craft, system, or payload which is used to test various configurations and basic size, load, and handling characteristics
  • Boilerplate code, code that appears in different programs mostly unaltered due to conventions or syntactical requirements to form a minimal program

Other usage

  • Boilerplate contract, standard form contract between two parties that does not allow for negotiation
  • Boilerplate text, any text that is or can be reused in new contexts or applications without being changed much from the original
  • Boilerplate (Software),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.

Translations:

Boilerplate

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - kogeplade

Français (French)
n. - (Comput) paragraphes passe-partout

Deutsch (German)
n. - Kesselblech, (Am.) Platte eines Materndienstes, Standard-Vertragstext, (ugs.) Standardsätze oder -textbausteine

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - χοντρολαμαρίνα, στερεότυπο άρθρο (για διανομή από πρακτορείο σε πολλές εφημερίδες), στερεότυπο κείμενο (π.χ. συμβολαίων)

Español (Spanish)
n. - plancha de caldera, (periodismo) material listo para ser impreso, lenguaje estereotipado

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ångpanneplåt

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
样板文件

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 樣板文件

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 보일러 판, 스테레오판으로 제공되는 공동 기사, 시험용 실물 크기 모형

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ألواح حديد لأكساء المراجل ( البويلرات), وثيقه ( عقد مثلا) تحتاج الى تغييرات طفيفه ( كالتاريخ) لأعادة استعمالها‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פח עבה (חומר)‬


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Mentioned in

stationery (technology)
boilerplate copy (in marketing)
Flyspeck 3 (computer jargon)
server-side include (technology)
signature file (technology)