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Added 9 October 2026

expletive

/ɪkˈspliːtɪv/ noun

Latin root: explētīvus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about expletive at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger.
expletives were deleted
A word or phrase conveying no independent meaning but added to fill out a sentence or metrical line.

Origin

From Late Latin explētīvus (“serving to fill out”), from Latin explētus, the perfect passive participle of expleō (“fill out”), itself from ex (“out, completely”) + *pleō (“fill”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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