tablet

noun

tab·​let ˈta-blət 

1

a

: a flat slab or plaque suited for or bearing an inscription

b

: a thin slab or one of a set of portable sheets used for writing

c

: pad entry 1 sense 2

2

a

: a small mass of medicated material

an aspirin tablet

b

: a compressed or molded block of a solid material

3

a

or tablet computer : a mobile computing device that has a flat, rectangular form like that of a magazine or pad of paper, that is usually controlled by means of a touch screen, and that is typically used for accessing the Internet, watching videos, playing games, reading electronic books, etc.

b

: graphics tablet

Synonyms of tablet

• notebook
• pad

Examples of tablet in a Sentence

you'll need to use your writing tablet to record all the information that the real estate agent is likely to reel off

take two tablets of the medication every eight hours

Recent Examples on the Web

Adding to the confusion, there's a big difference between AI tools designed for education and ones that students have easy access to on their phones, tablets and laptops. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Every title downloads for offline viewing, and the service runs on phones, tablets, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, and smart TVs. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026

Phones, laptops and tablets are among the electronics that can be covered, as long as they’re sold in Texas and have a wholesale price of at least $50. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026

In fact, as the world has become increasingly digital — reliant on laptops, tablets and the Notes app — the NFL remains a bastion of old-school note-taking. — Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tablett, from Anglo-French tablet, diminutive of table table

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tablet

• digitizing tablet
• graphics tablet

Kids Definition

tablet

noun

tab·​let ˈtab-lət 

1

a

: a flat slab suited for an inscription

b

: pad entry 2 sense 4

2

a

: a compressed or molded block of a solid material

b

: a small usually round mass of material containing medicine

aspirin tablet

3

a

: graphics tablet

b

or tablet computer : a mobile computing device that has a flat rectangular form, is usually controlled by means of a touch screen, and is typically used for accessing the Internet, watching videos, and reading e-books

Medical Definition

tablet

noun

tab·​let ˈtab-lət 

: a small mass of medicated material (as in the shape of a disk)

an aspirin tablet