A whiteboard is a smooth, white surface you can write on with special markers and then erase, used in classrooms, offices, and meeting rooms. Unlike chalkboards, which create dusty chalk residue, whiteboards use colorful dry-erase markers that wipe away cleanly with an eraser or cloth.

Teachers use whiteboards to explain math problems, diagram sentences, or sketch out science concepts. In business meetings, people gather around whiteboards to brainstorm ideas, draw flowcharts, or work through problems together. The erasable surface makes it easy to try different approaches, fix mistakes, or build on each other's thinking.

The word can also describe a specific type of collaborative meeting. When people say “let's whiteboard this,” they mean gathering around to sketch out ideas visually and work through a problem together. Whiteboarding has become shorthand for that creative, collaborative problem-solving process where everyone contributes ideas and the group builds something together, even if they're not using an actual whiteboard.

Most whiteboards are made of a glossy material like melamine, porcelain, or glass. The key feature is that special dry-erase marker ink sits on top of the surface instead of soaking in, making it easy to wipe away. Permanent markers, by contrast, can stain a whiteboard and are surprisingly difficult to remove.