The phrase -ate ion or ate ion can refer generically to many negatively charged anions. -ate compound or ate compound can refer to salts of the anions or esters of the functional groups.
Chemical terms ending in -ate (and -ite) generally refer to the negatively charged anions, neutral radicals, and covalently bonded functional groups that share the same chemical formulas (with different charges). For example, the nitrate anion, ; the nitrate functional group that forms nitrate esters,  or ; and the nitrate radical or nitrogen trioxide, .
Most numerous are oxyanions (oxyacids that have lost one or more protons to deprotonation) and the radicals and functional groups that share their names. 
Oxyanions derived from inorganic acids include:
* Fully deprotonated oxyanions, such as borate, carbonate, nitrate, cyanate, isocyanate, thiocyanate, fulminate, aluminate, zincate, silicate, phosphate, sulfate and other sulfur oxoanions,  chlorate, titanate, vanadate, chromate, manganate, ferrate, percobaltate, nickelate, germanate, arsenate, selenate, bromate, molybdate, pertechnate, perruthenate, stannate, antimonate, tellurate, iodate,  perxenate, tungstate, plumbate, and bismuthate.
* Partially deprotonated oxyanions, such as hydrogensulfate, hydrogenphosphate, and dihydrogenphosphate. 
Oxyanions derived from organic acids include:
* Carboxylate ions such as formate, acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, and oxalate, along with their sulfur analogs, the thiocarboxylate ions, such as thioacetate.
* Phosphonate and sulfonate ions.
* Deprotonated alcohols such as methanolate (methoxide) and ethanolate (ethoxide), along with their sulfur analogs, the thiolates.
A lyate ion is a generic solvent molecule that has become a negative ion by loss of one or more protons.
The -ate suffix also applies to negative fluoroanions, fluorides which have gained one or more protons and twice as many electrons. Tetrafluoroborate, , is boron trifluoride, , which has gained one fluoride and two electrons.