# expletive

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ɪkˈspliːtɪv/ · frequency rank #50,500

## Definitions
1. Serving to fill up, merely for effect, otherwise redundant.
2. Marked by expletives (phrase-fillers).

## Etymology
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”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/expletive