blank canvas

== English == === Etymology === By analogy with artists who begin with a blank canvas, thereby possessing the freedom to shape it according to their creative inclinations. === Pronunciation === === Noun === blank canvas (plural blank canvases or blank canvasses) (figuratively, also philosophy, epistemology) An unmarked or empty state, offering a limitless potential for creation, development or interpretation. Synonyms: blank slate, empty canvas, empty page, blank page, empty sheet, blank sheet, empty leaf, blank leaf Near-synonyms: new canvas, clean slate, new page, new sheet, new leaf Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see blank,‎ canvas.