: flattened or depressed at the poles
an oblate spheroid
oblateness
noun
1
: a layman living in a monastery under a modified rule and without vows
2
: a member of one of several Roman Catholic communities of men or women
Examples of oblate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
For example, the 2004 Indonesian earthquake made the planet slightly less oblate — picture the figure skater pulling her arms in — and therefore shortened the day by 2.68 microseconds (1 microsecond is equal to 0.001 milliseconds).
—Lara Williams, The Mercury News, 26 July 2024
This makes the Earth more oblate — or fatter — slowing the rotation of the planet and lengthening the day still further.
—Damian Carrington, Vox, 17 July 2024
Instead our star is actually a little squished, or oblate.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024
Planet Earth is shaped more like an oblate spheroid which looks like a flatter circle.
—Emy Rodriguez Flores, Popular Mechanics, 10 Jan. 2023
Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
As a result, the Earth's normal oblate shape, resembling a somewhat flattened sphere bulging at the equator, is flattening even more, Adhikari said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 July 2024
In the north, Solomon knew, young oblates, the cherished daughters of gentlewomen, were given to the Lord out of the ranks of the nobility.
—Cynthia Ozick, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
But Earth is an oblate spheroid, meaning a 3D shape created by an ellipsis that’s rotating around its shorter axis—like a more rounded jelly donut.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 12 Feb. 2020
This was unexpected at Jupiter—a heavy, fast rotating, oblate (flattened at the poles) planet.
—Andrew Coates, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2018
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Adjective
Sister Lydia Maria described to the women the duties of an oblate, such as saying prayers for people who request them.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
For example, the 2004 Indonesian earthquake made the planet slightly less oblate — picture the figure skater pulling her arms in — and therefore shortened the day by 2.68 microseconds (1 microsecond is equal to 0.001 milliseconds).
—Lara Williams, The Mercury News, 26 July 2024
This makes the Earth more oblate — or fatter — slowing the rotation of the planet and lengthening the day still further.
—Damian Carrington, Vox, 17 July 2024
Instead our star is actually a little squished, or oblate.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024
Planet Earth is shaped more like an oblate spheroid which looks like a flatter circle.
—Emy Rodriguez Flores, Popular Mechanics, 10 Jan. 2023
Noun
Sister Lydia Maria described to the women the duties of an oblate, such as saying prayers for people who request them.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
As a result, the Earth's normal oblate shape, resembling a somewhat flattened sphere bulging at the equator, is flattening even more, Adhikari said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 July 2024
In the north, Solomon knew, young oblates, the cherished daughters of gentlewomen, were given to the Lord out of the ranks of the nobility.
—Cynthia Ozick, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
But Earth is an oblate spheroid, meaning a 3D shape created by an ellipsis that’s rotating around its shorter axis—like a more rounded jelly donut.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 12 Feb. 2020
This was unexpected at Jupiter—a heavy, fast rotating, oblate (flattened at the poles) planet.
—Andrew Coates, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Oblate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oblate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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