expletive

[ek-spli-tiv]

noun

1. an interjectory word or expression, frequently profane; an exclamatory oath.

2. a syllable, word, or phrase serving to fill out.

3. Grammar.,  a word considered as regularly filling the syntactic position of another, as it in It is his duty to go, or there in There is nothing here.

adjective

1. Also expletory added merely to fill out a sentence or line, give emphasis, etc..

   Expletive remarks padded the speech.

expletive

/ ɪkˈspliːtɪv /

noun

1. an exclamation or swearword; an oath or a sound expressing an emotional reaction rather than any particular meaning

2. any syllable, word, or phrase conveying no independent meaning, esp one inserted in a line of verse for the sake of the metre

adjective

1. expressing no particular meaning, esp when filling out a line of verse

expletive

1. Any exclamation or oath, especially one that is obscene or profane, as in “Dammit, I forgot to buy the milk.”

The Oval Office tapes of President Richard Nixon, released during the investigation of the Watergate scandal, made famous the phrase “expletive deleted,” which appeared frequently in expurgated transcripts of the tapes.

Other Word Forms

• expletively adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of expletive¹

1600–10; < Late Latin explētīvus serving to fill out, equivalent to Latin explēt ( us ) filled, filled up (past participle of explēre; explement ) + -īvus -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of expletive¹

C17: from Late Latin explētīvus for filling out, from explēre, from plēre to fill

Example Sentences

His playing partner Shane Lowry then drained a hole-winning eagle putt and wildly celebrated, animatedly pointing and shouting an expletive in the vicinity of where the original abuse had come from.

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Discovery, which Oliver followed up with repeated expletives.

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She adds an expletive to the end of this pronouncement, but no emphasis is needed for a daughter who has already indicted herself for selfishness, the one unpardonable sin for a Latina.

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Two days later, Malloe said essentially the same thing while walking past reporters, adding an expletive for emphasis.

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"Peace talks with Putin? With this ****?" Ihor wanted to know, with a string of expletives.

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Related Words

• curse