A tantalate is a tantalum-containing anion or a salt of such an anion. A commercially important example is heptafluorotantalate (TaF<sub>7</sub><sup>2âÂÂ</sup>) and its potassium salt (K<sub>2</sub>TaF<sub>7</sub>).
Many oxides of tantalum are called tantalates. They are viewed as derivatives of "tantalic acid", hypothetic compounds with the formulas Ta<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>÷nH<sub>2</sub>O or HTaO<sub>3</sub>). Examples of such tantalates are lithium tantalate (LiTaO<sub>3</sub>), lutetium tantalate (LuTaO<sub>4</sub>), neodymium tantalate (NdTaO<sub>4</sub>) and lead scandium tantalate (PST or Pb(Sc<sub>x</sub>Ta<sub>1-x</sub>)O<sub>3</sub>. Polyoxometallates containing tantalum provide examples of discrete tantalum oxides that exist in solution.