placeholder
Americannoun
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something that marks or temporarily fills a place (often used attributively): We’re using placeholder art in this mock-up of the ad layout.
I couldn’t find my bookmark, so I put a coaster in my book as a placeholder.
We’re using placeholder art in this mock-up of the ad layout.
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Mathematics, Logic. a symbol in an expression that may be replaced by the name of any element of the set.
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a person who holds a government office, especially one appointed to the position in return for political support or favors.
Etymology
Origin of placeholder
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The other eight vendors’ total obligations of $10,000 and $6,666 are placeholder allocations designed to grant them a position in the vendor pool.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Ms. Szarama’s title will be “acting director,” so perhaps she’s a placeholder while the White House and Dr. Makary try to settle on a longer-term replacement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
She had been given what is called a placeholder job.
From BBC ● May 4, 2024
To be clear, Disease X is a hypothetical disease where the “X” is simply a placeholder.
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2024
In any case, a symbol for zero—the placeholder in the base-10 numbering system—was certainly in use by the ninth century.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
