expletiveadj.n.

Brit.

/ᵻkˈspliːtɪv/,

/ɛkˈspliːtɪv/, U.S.

/ˈɛksplədɪv/

Forms: late Middle English explatyue, late Middle English expletyf, 1500s–1600s expletiue, 1600s– expletive.

Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French expletif; Latin explētīvus.

Etymology: < (i) Middle French expletif (French explétif ) (of words, especially of a type of conjunction) serving to fill out a sentence, redundant (14th cent. as explettif ), serving to fill something out (1506 in an apparently isolated attestation in a pun on the use in grammar), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin explētīvus (of words, especially of a type of conjunction) serving to fill out a sentence, redundant (attributed to classical Latin authors by post-classical Latin grammarians) < explēt- , past participial stem of explēre explete v.¹ + -īvus -ive suffix. Compare Spanish expletivo (1490), Italian espletivo (late 14th cent.).In sense A. 2 (earliest in expletive justice n. at Compounds 1) originally after post-classical Latin expletrix (see etymological note at expletory adj.). With use as noun compare post-classical Latin expletiva, feminine (5th cent.), expletivum, neuter (4th cent.), both denoting a word or phrase used for filling up a sentence. N.E.D. (1894) also gives the British pronunciation (e·ksplĭtiv) /ˈɛksplɪtɪv/.

A. adj.

a. Of a word or phrase: serving merely to fill out a sentence or a metrical line without adding anything to the sense; (also) serving as a grammatical place-filler. In early use also (Grammar): †(of a conjunction) supplying or completing the meaning of a following clause (obsolete). Also occasionally: (of a mode of expression) redundant, wordy.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > serving to fill out sentence, etc.

expletivec1450

suppletorya1631

expletory1679

c1450 in D. Thomson Middle Eng. Grammatical Texts (1984) 42 How knowest a coniunccion expletyf? That at fulfylleth the sentence of a reson that is folwyng, as ‘I forsothe haue souped, thu forsothe not’, Ego quidem cenaui tu vero non.

1534 N. Udall Floures for Latine Spekynge gathered oute of Terence f. 144 And it [the particle sis] is moche vsed for an aduerbe of exhortynge, or elles otherwhyles for a voyce expletiue, soo that it be parelcon.

1538 T. Elyot Dict. at Enim Sometyme it is expletiue, and dothe but fylle vp a sentence, to make it sounde well.

1646 T. Gataker Shadowes without Substance 57* A Doctor of some note..said, his meaning was, that they were but as some expletive particles in Greeke, used in a kind of elegancy, onely to make up the sentence.

a1677 I. Barrow Several Serm. Evil-speaking (1678) 119 He useth them [sc. oaths] as expletive phrases..to plump his speech.

a1771 R. Wood Ess. Homer (1775) 288 Homer's particles were [not] altogether condemned to this mere expletive duty.

1781 S. Johnson Addison in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets V. 104 The lines, which there is little temptation to load with expletive epithets.

1804 R. Southey in J. W. Robberds Mem. W. Taylor (1843) I. 494 ‘The Key my loose, powerless fingers forsook’, a lame and expletive way of saying ‘I dropt the key’.

1874 A. H. Sayce Princ. Compar. Philol. i. 29 The influence of Emphasis will..show itself..in the introduction of expletive ones [sounds].

1874 T. Davidson tr. Dionysios Thrax in Jrnl. Speculative Philos. 8 338 Of conjunctions, some are copulative, some disjunctive, some conjunctive, some præter-conjunctive, some causative, some dubitative, some conclusive, and some expletive.

1904 E. Marshall Middle Wall xix. 237 It was all that the old man had left of the queer expletive phrase which had been his only emphasis of language when in health.

1981 R. Hayman Kafka (1983) ii. 17 The odd words of Yiddish that survived in his father's vocabulary were mostly expletive.

2010 J. R. Holmes in B. Eden Middle-earth Minstrel 34 This wording..(‘In a hole in the ground there lived’) is in fact exclusively modern, since the expletive use of there was not a feature of Old English.

†b. gen. Serving to fill something out; introduced merely to occupy space, or to make up a required quantity or number. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > excessive amount or degree > [adjective] > excessive or superfluous > superfluous or unnecessary

wastec1380

voidc1440

superfluousc1450

supererogative1538

supererogatory1549

supervacaneala1575

supervacaneousa1575

supervacuous1577

supernumerary1617

excrescent1633

expletive1656

expletory1679

supererogant1737

ripieno1781

excrescentitious1833

excrescential1849

fifth-wheel1874

1656 T. Blount Glossographia Expletive, that fills a place, or makes perfect; fulfilling or making up.

1666 J. Tillotson Rule of Faith i. §3 Those expletive topicks which popish writers..do generally make use of to help out a book.

1761 C. Churchill Rosciad 7 Expletive kings and queens without a name.

1774 Public Advertiser 4 Feb. 2/4 If those who have expressed their Wonder at the Premier's keeping his expletive Place of great Profit and no Honor, notwithstanding his known Mediocrity of Talents, [etc.].

a1833 H. More in C. R. Leslie & T. Taylor Sir J. Reynolds (1865) II. vii. 209 Scarce an expletive man or woman of the party.

1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 817/2 Expletive-stone (Masonry), one used for filling a vacuity.

2. Tending or seeking to supply a loss; compensative (chiefly and earliest in expletive justice n. at Compounds 1). Formerly also: †having the attribute of supplying a deficiency (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > wholeness > completeness > [adjective] > making complete > by supplying what is wanting

supplemental1605

supplianta1616

suppletorya1631

suppletive1633

expletive1652

eking1653

supplementary1667

makeweight1701

suppl.1800

supplementing1851

make-up1885

add-on1955

society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > judging > [adjective] > types of judgement or order

expletive1652

decretal1689

ignored1811

exhibitory1886

moratory1891

1652 R. Filmer Observ. Orig. Govt. 45 Many times, saith Grotius, it happens, that war is grounded upon expletive Justice, Justitiam expletricem, which is when a man cannot obtain that he ought, he takes that which is as much in value, which in moral estimation is the same.

1673 E. Polhill Divine Will ix. 454 The Will naturally wills Blessedness or the ultimate End in general, because it is a Good perfective and expletive of the Soul.

1816 M. Keating Trav. Eur. & Afr. I. 38 Reymond..supplies this deficiency: but he is not sufficiently expletive in regard to this eastern part of the chain.

2004 O. O'Donovan & J. L. O'Donovan Bonds of Imperfection 200 Subjective right is not more ‘strictly’ right in comparison with general right; it is merely that expletive right is more ‘strictly’ subjective right in comparison with assignative right.

3. Characterized by the use of expletives or swearing. See sense B. 1b.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > malediction > [adjective] > given to swearing or profanity

ill-tongueda1300

foul-moutheda1470

foul-tongued1549

foul-spoken1574

rough-mouthed1646

foulmouth1661

damning1667

swearing1796

expletive1841

hard-mouthed1864

potty-mouthed1987

1841 Ladies' Cabinet Sept. 182 How had his critical blood boiled, had he overheard my expletive language.

1848 U.S. Mag. & Democratic Rev. Apr. 338 I was in a very expletive, imprecatory vein.

1857 M. Reid War-trail lxxiii, in Chambers's Jrnl. 23 May 329/2 The old trapper had grown expletive.

1921 Motor West 1 Aug. 37/2 Enough expletive language on both sides to make honest minds..recall the simile of the pot calling the kettle black.

1976 J. Lees-Milne Diary 16 Apr. in Through Wood & Dale (2001) 89 A good talker, expletive, gossipy, indiscreet—overheard him tell Ann how he turned the new Lord Chancellor out of his room at the Ministry.

2003 G. Burress Gold Journey ix. 114 In very expletive language he displayed his concern.

B. n.

a. A word or phrase that fills out a sentence or metrical line without adding anything to the sense; a word or phrase serving as a grammatical place-filler. In early use also (Grammar): an expletive conjunction (see sense A. 1a) (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [noun] > action of padding > matter used as padding > expletive

expletivec1450

filler1697

expletion1775

c1450 in D. Thomson Middle Eng. Grammatical Texts (1984) 7 How mony powers of coniunccion byn þer? V. Wech v? Sum be copulatyuis, sum byn disiunctiuis, sum byn explatyuis, sum casuels and sum racionels.

1567 W. Salesbury Explan. Certaine Wordes in tr. Lliver Gweddi Gyffredin sig. ¶(i)^v Y being relatiue, or a kinde of expletiue, for a, vnto the Northwales readers.

1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. viii. 97 As also Coniunctions, Copulatiues [etc.]..so Expletiues, and certaine others.

1641 J. Sherman Greek in Temple sig. F3 Are there any redundances in Scripture? Is S. Paul to please the Philosophers become Homericall in his expletives?

1668 Bp. J. Wilkins Ess. Real Char. i. iv. §6. 18 Words that are mere Expletives, not adding any thing to the Sense.

1725 A. Blackwall Sacred Classics I. ii. ii. 188 The beauty and excellence of the new Testament is shew'd from the agreeable mixture of particles and expletives.

1781 S. Johnson Pope in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets VII. 328 Expletives he very early ejected from his verses.

1816 J. Gilchrist Philos. Etymol. 185 Must insignificant particles be consecrated into elegant expletives?

1839 H. Hallam Introd. Lit. Europe III. v. 522 Articles and expletives..are..employed for the sake of the metre, not of the sense.

1874 T. Davidson tr. Dionysios Thrax in Jrnl. Speculative Philos. 8 339 Expletives are those [sc. conjunctions] which are used for the sake of metre or ornament.

1892 H. C. G. von Jagemann Elem. German Syntax 14 The pronoun es is used..as an ‘expletive’, before the verb, when it is desired to let the subject follow.

1903 M. Reynolds Poems Anne Countess of Winchilsea p. xc Pope also objected to expletives, but Dryden's more rapid and freer verse did not always disdain ‘these fillers-up of unnecessary syllables’.

1969 V. V. Mirashi & N. R. Navlekar Kālidāsa v. 132 So also sadyaḥ, alam, kila are often employed as expletives to fill a vacancy, with little or no significance.

1994 W. G. E. Watson Trad. Techniques in Classical Hebrew Verse 375 The longer element, called ‘ballast variant’ is also termed ‘expletive’ or ‘filler’ and is characteristic of oral poetry.

2009 S. Pfenninger Grammaticalization Paths Eng. & High German Existential Constr. x. 220 Both the High German and the English expletives [sc. es and there] function as slot-fillers that maintain the prevailing word orders.

b. An emphatic exclamation with which a person fills his or her speech; (hence) an oath, curse, or swear word, a profanity.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > malediction > oaths > [noun]

oatha1225

hunting oath1570

forbode1575

exorcism1601

expletive1647

rapper1675

oathlet1835

expletion1836

emphatic1868

swear1871

rounder1885

the mind > goodness and badness > state of being accursed > curse > [noun] > as everyday imprecation

oatha1225

malisonc1300

reproach1485

thunderbolt1559

revilement1577

thunder-crack1577

revile1579

ban1590

wish1597

thunder-clap1610

expletive1647

rapper1675

cuss1771

winze1786

Goddammit1800

goddam1828

dirty word1842

blank1854

emphatic1868

swear1871

sailor's blessing1876

blessing1878

goldarn1879

swear-word1883

rounder1885

curse-word1897

dang1906

sailor's farewell1937

1647 J. Trapp Comm. Evangelists & Acts (Matt. xxvi. 74) 596 This he had learnd, belike, of the ruffianly souldiers, with whom usually, execrations are but expletives, and horrible oathes, interjections of speech.

a1653 T. Adams Main Princ. Christian Relig. (1675) ii. 97 All mincing or contracting of Oaths; and here some tell us, that I marry, is but the contracting of I by St. Mary, though some use it only as an expletive.

1721 N. Collier Humble Addr. to Nobility & Gentry 40 The Expletives of Oaths contribute nothing to the Beauty of a good Sentence.

1794 T. Scott Ess. Subj. in Relig. 48 All use of the words, ‘God, Lord, Christ, &c’, without necessity, seriousness, and reverence; whether in improper religious discourse, or as expletives in talking about other matters.

1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering II. 96 We omit here various execrations with which these honest gentlemen garnished their discourse, retaining only such of their expletives as are least offensive.

1891 E. Peacock Narcissa Brendon I. 63 ‘Confound him!’ or some stronger expletive exploded from the Earl's lips.

1905 E. Wharton House of Mirth (1922) i. x. 189 ‘Hang talking! That's what you always say,’ returned Trenor, whose expletives lacked variety.

1951 Life 8 Oct. 141/1 A sergeant named Trope, with..a vocabulary thundering with expletives and a merciless dedication to his job.

1967 E. Bourne Woman in Levi's xvi. 181 Probably the word man rates second place in cowboyese. One use is as an expletive. ‘Man-oh-man! Ain't this a scorcher!’ ‘Man alive! I like to a-froze to death last night.’

2011 Crisis Winter 24/1 A lot of name-calling, a lot of expletives and racial comments.

c. expletive deleted: used parenthetically to indicate the omission in print of a profanity or an obscene word.The expression gained popular currency after the publication of transcripts relating to the Watergate scandal (see Watergate n.³ 1) in which all of the profanities had been replaced by the phrase expletive deleted, at the behest of President Nixon (cf. quot. 1974).

ΚΠ

1938 Logansport (Indiana) Press 13 July 3/4 He seemed to fancy himself to be in the operating room, for he cried out angrily ‘Don't you know, you (expletive deleted) that dropping an instrument might be equivalent to murder?’

1974 Science 23 Aug. 678/2 To Haldeman's remark that Federal Reserve Board Chairman Arthur F. Burns is worried about speculation in the Italian lira, Nixon is shown replying, ‘Well I don't give a (expletive deleted) about the lira.’

1987 Toronto Star (Nexis) 1 Aug. (Mag.) 2 ‘Clean up that (expletive deleted) mess,’ she ordered one day, with uncharacteristic force.

2014 H. Becker Dirk Daring, Secret Agent ii. 35 Fine. You tell the moms of those [expletive deleted] grade 8s that they won't be going to the [expletive deleted] annual end-of-year Major League Baseball game because there's no [expletive deleted] money for the [expletive deleted] buses.

†2.

a. A person or thing that merely serves to fill up space. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > excessive amount or degree > [noun] > excess, redundancy, or superfluity > that which is superfluous > a superfluous thing, part, or person

superfluitya1398

the fifth wheel of a coach, waggon1631

redundancy1631

superfluency1672

expletive1688

a spare prick1961

1688 R. L'Estrange Brief Hist. Times II. 69 This Article [of an Impeachment] is an Expletive; and Signifies just nothing.

1755 E. Young Centaur ii, in Wks. (1757) IV. 110 Was man made only to flutter, sing, and expire? A mere expletive in the mighty work..of the Almighty?

1773 R. Graves Spiritual Quixote III. ix. xv. 52 A gooseberry-tart; with other ornamental expletives of the same kind.

1872 O. W. Holmes Poet at Breakfast-table i. 9 He is a sort of expletive at the table, serving to stop gaps.

b. Something that supplies deficiencies; a supplement. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > wholeness > completeness > [noun] > by supplying what is wanting > one who or that which supplies what is wanted

supplier1574

supplementer1644

suppletory1647

supplementor1697

makeweight1750

adjunctive1755

expletivea1878

add-on1930

a1878 G. G. Scott Lect. Mediæval Archit. (1879) I. 207 They may..be studied [in Italy]..as an aid and expletive to what we learn elsewhere.

Compounds

C1. Compounds of the adjective.

expletive justice n. = commutative justice n. at commutative adj. 1b; cf. expletory justice n. at expletory adj. 1.

ΚΠ

1652Expletive Justice [see sense A. 2].

1715 J. Morrice et al. tr. H. Grotius Of Rights War & Peace I. i. 42 Aristotle says, that an Expletive Justice has respect to a Simple, which he calls..Arithmetical Proportion.

1751 A. McDouall Inst. Laws Scotl. I. i. i. 3 Expletive justice is more comprehensive than commutative, which seems to be confined to an equality in contracts.

1839 H. Hallam Introd. Lit. Europe III. iv. 415 Punishment..is not a part of attributive and hardly of expletive justice.

1883 W. M. Best Princ. Law Evid. (ed. 7) 24 Under a system of municipal jurisprudence, expletive justice must be understood to mean that which may be claimed of strict legal right.

1983 I. Hont & M. Ignatieff Wealth & Virtue i. 29 Expletive justice was about ‘perfect rights’, the chief of which were rights of property.

2013 N. Biggar In Def. of War v. 180 Determining who is the owner of a coat is an act of expletive justice, for example, while determining who would fit it best is an act of attributive justice.

C2. Compounds of the noun.

expletive-laden adj.

ΚΠ

1968 A. Rendle Everyman & his Theatre vi. 43 The smallest village has its ardent enthusiast who imagines that..Osborne's expletive-laden dialogue must be allowed to shock Mrs. Grundy and make the ‘modern theatre’ familiar.

1979 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) 26 Mar. 7/2 An expletive-laden shouting match between representatives for the two sides.

2012 Vanity Fair June 154/1 The book's 221 scathing, expletive-laden pages are packed with acts of greed and betrayal.

Derivatives

exˈpletively adv. (a) in an expletive manner, with redundancy of expression; (b) with the use of or in the manner of swear words.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adverb] > to fill out sentence

expletively1606

parapleromatically1698

1606 T. Hutton 2nd Pt. Reasons for Refusall 209 Expletiuely making vp the sentence with some one word or other.

1662 G. Lawson Expos. Epist. Hebrewes vii. 118 The word..is used expletively for ornament.

1759 M. Pilkington Remarks Script. xix. 95 And, as Soul is used expletively, so is Body also.

1860 J. Young Province Reason 171 Loosely, expletively, rhetorically, we speak of the Infinite Life.

1888 Naut. Mag. Apr. 281 The sailor immediately shouts out that it is a ‘bad discharge’, and then delivers his excited soul expletively.

1906 E. Jepson Tinker Two iii. 56 The two friends wrangled expletively, either trying to fix the blame of their misfortunes on the other.

1920 Harper's Mag. May 757/2 He has a trick of rumbling on expletively and breathing rather heavily through his nose long after actual sentences have ceased to come.

2002 M. Bygraves Stars in my Eyes 62 The sort of language usually spoken by drunken sailors but on this night delivered expletively by Judy G.

exˈpletiveness n. the quality of being expletive (in various senses).

ΚΠ

1727 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II Expletiveness,..Expletive, or filling up Quality.

1849 Southern Lit. Messenger May 259/2 It is pure, elegant and classic, but with a slight tendency to expletiveness.

1910 R. Mayer Song of Wolf x. 125 ‘They've kissed an' made up,’ explained Holy to Douglass, with blood-curdling expletiveness. ‘Ain't they jest thu two mos' lovin' waddies yuh eveh see?’

2007 Sunday Business Post (Ireland) (Nexis) 26 Aug. The remark is on the misdemeanour scale of expletiveness or parliamentary language, however, the remark made by a frustrated employee, was not obscene.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	expletive
释义	expletiveadj.n. Brit. /ᵻkˈspliːtɪv/, /ɛkˈspliːtɪv/, U.S. /ˈɛksplədɪv/ Forms: late Middle English explatyue, late Middle English expletyf, 1500s–1600s expletiue, 1600s– expletive. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French expletif; Latin explētīvus. Etymology: < (i) Middle French expletif (French explétif ) (of words, especially of a type of conjunction) serving to fill out a sentence, redundant (14th cent. as explettif ), serving to fill something out (1506 in an apparently isolated attestation in a pun on the use in grammar), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin explētīvus (of words, especially of a type of conjunction) serving to fill out a sentence, redundant (attributed to classical Latin authors by post-classical Latin grammarians) < explēt- , past participial stem of explēre explete v.¹ + -īvus -ive suffix. Compare Spanish expletivo (1490), Italian espletivo (late 14th cent.).In sense A. 2 (earliest in expletive justice n. at Compounds 1) originally after post-classical Latin expletrix (see etymological note at expletory adj.). With use as noun compare post-classical Latin expletiva, feminine (5th cent.), expletivum, neuter (4th cent.), both denoting a word or phrase used for filling up a sentence. N.E.D. (1894) also gives the British pronunciation (e·ksplĭtiv) /ˈɛksplɪtɪv/. A. adj. 1. a. Of a word or phrase: serving merely to fill out a sentence or a metrical line without adding anything to the sense; (also) serving as a grammatical place-filler. In early use also (Grammar): †(of a conjunction) supplying or completing the meaning of a following clause (obsolete). Also occasionally: (of a mode of expression) redundant, wordy. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > serving to fill out sentence, etc. expletivec1450 suppletorya1631 expletory1679 c1450 in D. Thomson Middle Eng. Grammatical Texts (1984) 42 How knowest a coniunccion expletyf? That at fulfylleth the sentence of a reson that is folwyng, as ‘I forsothe haue souped, thu forsothe not’, Ego quidem cenaui tu vero non. 1534 N. Udall Floures for Latine Spekynge gathered oute of Terence f. 144 And it [the particle sis] is moche vsed for an aduerbe of exhortynge, or elles otherwhyles for a voyce expletiue, soo that it be parelcon. 1538 T. Elyot Dict. at Enim Sometyme it is expletiue, and dothe but fylle vp a sentence, to make it sounde well. 1646 T. Gataker Shadowes without Substance 57* A Doctor of some note..said, his meaning was, that they were but as some expletive particles in Greeke, used in a kind of elegancy, onely to make up the sentence. a1677 I. Barrow Several Serm. Evil-speaking (1678) 119 He useth them [sc. oaths] as expletive phrases..to plump his speech. a1771 R. Wood Ess. Homer (1775) 288 Homer's particles were [not] altogether condemned to this mere expletive duty. 1781 S. Johnson Addison in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets V. 104 The lines, which there is little temptation to load with expletive epithets. 1804 R. Southey in J. W. Robberds Mem. W. Taylor (1843) I. 494 ‘The Key my loose, powerless fingers forsook’, a lame and expletive way of saying ‘I dropt the key’. 1874 A. H. Sayce Princ. Compar. Philol. i. 29 The influence of Emphasis will..show itself..in the introduction of expletive ones [sounds]. 1874 T. Davidson tr. Dionysios Thrax in Jrnl. Speculative Philos. 8 338 Of conjunctions, some are copulative, some disjunctive, some conjunctive, some præter-conjunctive, some causative, some dubitative, some conclusive, and some expletive. 1904 E. Marshall Middle Wall xix. 237 It was all that the old man had left of the queer expletive phrase which had been his only emphasis of language when in health. 1981 R. Hayman Kafka (1983) ii. 17 The odd words of Yiddish that survived in his father's vocabulary were mostly expletive. 2010 J. R. Holmes in B. Eden Middle-earth Minstrel 34 This wording..(‘In a hole in the ground there lived’) is in fact exclusively modern, since the expletive use of there was not a feature of Old English. †b. gen. Serving to fill something out; introduced merely to occupy space, or to make up a required quantity or number. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > excessive amount or degree > [adjective] > excessive or superfluous > superfluous or unnecessary wastec1380 voidc1440 superfluousc1450 supererogative1538 supererogatory1549 supervacaneala1575 supervacaneousa1575 supervacuous1577 supernumerary1617 excrescent1633 expletive1656 expletory1679 supererogant1737 ripieno1781 excrescentitious1833 excrescential1849 fifth-wheel1874 1656 T. Blount Glossographia Expletive, that fills a place, or makes perfect; fulfilling or making up. 1666 J. Tillotson Rule of Faith i. §3 Those expletive topicks which popish writers..do generally make use of to help out a book. 1761 C. Churchill Rosciad 7 Expletive kings and queens without a name. 1774 Public Advertiser 4 Feb. 2/4 If those who have expressed their Wonder at the Premier's keeping his expletive Place of great Profit and no Honor, notwithstanding his known Mediocrity of Talents, [etc.]. a1833 H. More in C. R. Leslie & T. Taylor Sir J. Reynolds (1865) II. vii. 209 Scarce an expletive man or woman of the party. 1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 817/2 Expletive-stone (Masonry), one used for filling a vacuity. 2. Tending or seeking to supply a loss; compensative (chiefly and earliest in expletive justice n. at Compounds 1). Formerly also: †having the attribute of supplying a deficiency (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > wholeness > completeness > [adjective] > making complete > by supplying what is wanting supplemental1605 supplianta1616 suppletorya1631 suppletive1633 expletive1652 eking1653 supplementary1667 makeweight1701 suppl.1800 supplementing1851 make-up1885 add-on1955 society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > judging > [adjective] > types of judgement or order expletive1652 decretal1689 ignored1811 exhibitory1886 moratory1891 1652 R. Filmer Observ. Orig. Govt. 45 Many times, saith Grotius, it happens, that war is grounded upon expletive Justice, Justitiam expletricem, which is when a man cannot obtain that he ought, he takes that which is as much in value, which in moral estimation is the same. 1673 E. Polhill Divine Will ix. 454 The Will naturally wills Blessedness or the ultimate End in general, because it is a Good perfective and expletive of the Soul. 1816 M. Keating Trav. Eur. & Afr. I. 38 Reymond..supplies this deficiency: but he is not sufficiently expletive in regard to this eastern part of the chain. 2004 O. O'Donovan & J. L. O'Donovan Bonds of Imperfection 200 Subjective right is not more ‘strictly’ right in comparison with general right; it is merely that expletive right is more ‘strictly’ subjective right in comparison with assignative right. 3. Characterized by the use of expletives or swearing. See sense B. 1b. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > malediction > [adjective] > given to swearing or profanity ill-tongueda1300 foul-moutheda1470 foul-tongued1549 foul-spoken1574 rough-mouthed1646 foulmouth1661 damning1667 swearing1796 expletive1841 hard-mouthed1864 potty-mouthed1987 1841 Ladies' Cabinet Sept. 182 How had his critical blood boiled, had he overheard my expletive language. 1848 U.S. Mag. & Democratic Rev. Apr. 338 I was in a very expletive, imprecatory vein. 1857 M. Reid War-trail lxxiii, in Chambers's Jrnl. 23 May 329/2 The old trapper had grown expletive. 1921 Motor West 1 Aug. 37/2 Enough expletive language on both sides to make honest minds..recall the simile of the pot calling the kettle black. 1976 J. Lees-Milne Diary 16 Apr. in Through Wood & Dale (2001) 89 A good talker, expletive, gossipy, indiscreet—overheard him tell Ann how he turned the new Lord Chancellor out of his room at the Ministry. 2003 G. Burress Gold Journey ix. 114 In very expletive language he displayed his concern. B. n. 1. a. A word or phrase that fills out a sentence or metrical line without adding anything to the sense; a word or phrase serving as a grammatical place-filler. In early use also (Grammar): an expletive conjunction (see sense A. 1a) (obsolete). ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [noun] > action of padding > matter used as padding > expletive expletivec1450 filler1697 expletion1775 c1450 in D. Thomson Middle Eng. Grammatical Texts (1984) 7 How mony powers of coniunccion byn þer? V. Wech v? Sum be copulatyuis, sum byn disiunctiuis, sum byn explatyuis, sum casuels and sum racionels. 1567 W. Salesbury Explan. Certaine Wordes in tr. Lliver Gweddi Gyffredin sig. ¶(i)^v Y being relatiue, or a kinde of expletiue, for a, vnto the Northwales readers. 1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. viii. 97 As also Coniunctions, Copulatiues [etc.]..so Expletiues, and certaine others. 1641 J. Sherman Greek in Temple sig. F3 Are there any redundances in Scripture? Is S. Paul to please the Philosophers become Homericall in his expletives? 1668 Bp. J. Wilkins Ess. Real Char. i. iv. §6. 18 Words that are mere Expletives, not adding any thing to the Sense. 1725 A. Blackwall Sacred Classics I. ii. ii. 188 The beauty and excellence of the new Testament is shew'd from the agreeable mixture of particles and expletives. 1781 S. Johnson Pope in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets VII. 328 Expletives he very early ejected from his verses. 1816 J. Gilchrist Philos. Etymol. 185 Must insignificant particles be consecrated into elegant expletives? 1839 H. Hallam Introd. Lit. Europe III. v. 522 Articles and expletives..are..employed for the sake of the metre, not of the sense. 1874 T. Davidson tr. Dionysios Thrax in Jrnl. Speculative Philos. 8 339 Expletives are those [sc. conjunctions] which are used for the sake of metre or ornament. 1892 H. C. G. von Jagemann Elem. German Syntax 14 The pronoun es is used..as an ‘expletive’, before the verb, when it is desired to let the subject follow. 1903 M. Reynolds Poems Anne Countess of Winchilsea p. xc Pope also objected to expletives, but Dryden's more rapid and freer verse did not always disdain ‘these fillers-up of unnecessary syllables’. 1969 V. V. Mirashi & N. R. Navlekar Kālidāsa v. 132 So also sadyaḥ, alam, kila are often employed as expletives to fill a vacancy, with little or no significance. 1994 W. G. E. Watson Trad. Techniques in Classical Hebrew Verse 375 The longer element, called ‘ballast variant’ is also termed ‘expletive’ or ‘filler’ and is characteristic of oral poetry. 2009 S. Pfenninger Grammaticalization Paths Eng. & High German Existential Constr. x. 220 Both the High German and the English expletives [sc. es and there] function as slot-fillers that maintain the prevailing word orders. b. An emphatic exclamation with which a person fills his or her speech; (hence) an oath, curse, or swear word, a profanity. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > malediction > oaths > [noun] oatha1225 hunting oath1570 forbode1575 exorcism1601 expletive1647 rapper1675 oathlet1835 expletion1836 emphatic1868 swear1871 rounder1885 the mind > goodness and badness > state of being accursed > curse > [noun] > as everyday imprecation oatha1225 malisonc1300 reproach1485 thunderbolt1559 revilement1577 thunder-crack1577 revile1579 ban1590 wish1597 thunder-clap1610 expletive1647 rapper1675 cuss1771 winze1786 Goddammit1800 goddam1828 dirty word1842 blank1854 emphatic1868 swear1871 sailor's blessing1876 blessing1878 goldarn1879 swear-word1883 rounder1885 curse-word1897 dang1906 sailor's farewell1937 1647 J. Trapp Comm. Evangelists & Acts (Matt. xxvi. 74) 596 This he had learnd, belike, of the ruffianly souldiers, with whom usually, execrations are but expletives, and horrible oathes, interjections of speech. a1653 T. Adams Main Princ. Christian Relig. (1675) ii. 97 All mincing or contracting of Oaths; and here some tell us, that I marry, is but the contracting of I by St. Mary, though some use it only as an expletive. 1721 N. Collier Humble Addr. to Nobility & Gentry 40 The Expletives of Oaths contribute nothing to the Beauty of a good Sentence. 1794 T. Scott Ess. Subj. in Relig. 48 All use of the words, ‘God, Lord, Christ, &c’, without necessity, seriousness, and reverence; whether in improper religious discourse, or as expletives in talking about other matters. 1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering II. 96 We omit here various execrations with which these honest gentlemen garnished their discourse, retaining only such of their expletives as are least offensive. 1891 E. Peacock Narcissa Brendon I. 63 ‘Confound him!’ or some stronger expletive exploded from the Earl's lips. 1905 E. Wharton House of Mirth (1922) i. x. 189 ‘Hang talking! That's what you always say,’ returned Trenor, whose expletives lacked variety. 1951 Life 8 Oct. 141/1 A sergeant named Trope, with..a vocabulary thundering with expletives and a merciless dedication to his job. 1967 E. Bourne Woman in Levi's xvi. 181 Probably the word man rates second place in cowboyese. One use is as an expletive. ‘Man-oh-man! Ain't this a scorcher!’ ‘Man alive! I like to a-froze to death last night.’ 2011 Crisis Winter 24/1 A lot of name-calling, a lot of expletives and racial comments. c. expletive deleted: used parenthetically to indicate the omission in print of a profanity or an obscene word.The expression gained popular currency after the publication of transcripts relating to the Watergate scandal (see Watergate n.³ 1) in which all of the profanities had been replaced by the phrase expletive deleted, at the behest of President Nixon (cf. quot. 1974). ΚΠ 1938 Logansport (Indiana) Press 13 July 3/4 He seemed to fancy himself to be in the operating room, for he cried out angrily ‘Don't you know, you (expletive deleted) that dropping an instrument might be equivalent to murder?’ 1974 Science 23 Aug. 678/2 To Haldeman's remark that Federal Reserve Board Chairman Arthur F. Burns is worried about speculation in the Italian lira, Nixon is shown replying, ‘Well I don't give a (expletive deleted) about the lira.’ 1987 Toronto Star (Nexis) 1 Aug. (Mag.) 2 ‘Clean up that (expletive deleted) mess,’ she ordered one day, with uncharacteristic force. 2014 H. Becker Dirk Daring, Secret Agent ii. 35 Fine. You tell the moms of those [expletive deleted] grade 8s that they won't be going to the [expletive deleted] annual end-of-year Major League Baseball game because there's no [expletive deleted] money for the [expletive deleted] buses. †2. a. A person or thing that merely serves to fill up space. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > excessive amount or degree > [noun] > excess, redundancy, or superfluity > that which is superfluous > a superfluous thing, part, or person superfluitya1398 the fifth wheel of a coach, waggon1631 redundancy1631 superfluency1672 expletive1688 a spare prick1961 1688 R. L'Estrange Brief Hist. Times II. 69 This Article [of an Impeachment] is an Expletive; and Signifies just nothing. 1755 E. Young Centaur ii, in Wks. (1757) IV. 110 Was man made only to flutter, sing, and expire? A mere expletive in the mighty work..of the Almighty? 1773 R. Graves Spiritual Quixote III. ix. xv. 52 A gooseberry-tart; with other ornamental expletives of the same kind. 1872 O. W. Holmes Poet at Breakfast-table i. 9 He is a sort of expletive at the table, serving to stop gaps. b. Something that supplies deficiencies; a supplement. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > wholeness > completeness > [noun] > by supplying what is wanting > one who or that which supplies what is wanted supplier1574 supplementer1644 suppletory1647 supplementor1697 makeweight1750 adjunctive1755 expletivea1878 add-on1930 a1878 G. G. Scott Lect. Mediæval Archit. (1879) I. 207 They may..be studied [in Italy]..as an aid and expletive to what we learn elsewhere. Compounds C1. Compounds of the adjective. expletive justice n. = commutative justice n. at commutative adj. 1b; cf. expletory justice n. at expletory adj. 1. ΚΠ 1652Expletive Justice [see sense A. 2]. 1715 J. Morrice et al. tr. H. Grotius Of Rights War & Peace I. i. 42 Aristotle says, that an Expletive Justice has respect to a Simple, which he calls..Arithmetical Proportion. 1751 A. McDouall Inst. Laws Scotl. I. i. i. 3 Expletive justice is more comprehensive than commutative, which seems to be confined to an equality in contracts. 1839 H. Hallam Introd. Lit. Europe III. iv. 415 Punishment..is not a part of attributive and hardly of expletive justice. 1883 W. M. Best Princ. Law Evid. (ed. 7) 24 Under a system of municipal jurisprudence, expletive justice must be understood to mean that which may be claimed of strict legal right. 1983 I. Hont & M. Ignatieff Wealth & Virtue i. 29 Expletive justice was about ‘perfect rights’, the chief of which were rights of property. 2013 N. Biggar In Def. of War v. 180 Determining who is the owner of a coat is an act of expletive justice, for example, while determining who would fit it best is an act of attributive justice. C2. Compounds of the noun. expletive-laden adj. ΚΠ 1968 A. Rendle Everyman & his Theatre vi. 43 The smallest village has its ardent enthusiast who imagines that..Osborne's expletive-laden dialogue must be allowed to shock Mrs. Grundy and make the ‘modern theatre’ familiar. 1979 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) 26 Mar. 7/2 An expletive-laden shouting match between representatives for the two sides. 2012 Vanity Fair June 154/1 The book's 221 scathing, expletive-laden pages are packed with acts of greed and betrayal. Derivatives exˈpletively adv. (a) in an expletive manner, with redundancy of expression; (b) with the use of or in the manner of swear words. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adverb] > to fill out sentence expletively1606 parapleromatically1698 1606 T. Hutton 2nd Pt. Reasons for Refusall 209 Expletiuely making vp the sentence with some one word or other. 1662 G. Lawson Expos. Epist. Hebrewes vii. 118 The word..is used expletively for ornament. 1759 M. Pilkington Remarks Script. xix. 95 And, as Soul is used expletively, so is Body also. 1860 J. Young Province Reason 171 Loosely, expletively, rhetorically, we speak of the Infinite Life. 1888 Naut. Mag. Apr. 281 The sailor immediately shouts out that it is a ‘bad discharge’, and then delivers his excited soul expletively. 1906 E. Jepson Tinker Two iii. 56 The two friends wrangled expletively, either trying to fix the blame of their misfortunes on the other. 1920 Harper's Mag. May 757/2 He has a trick of rumbling on expletively and breathing rather heavily through his nose long after actual sentences have ceased to come. 2002 M. Bygraves Stars in my Eyes 62 The sort of language usually spoken by drunken sailors but on this night delivered expletively by Judy G. exˈpletiveness n. the quality of being expletive (in various senses). ΚΠ 1727 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II Expletiveness,..Expletive, or filling up Quality. 1849 Southern Lit. Messenger May 259/2 It is pure, elegant and classic, but with a slight tendency to expletiveness. 1910 R. Mayer Song of Wolf x. 125 ‘They've kissed an' made up,’ explained Holy to Douglass, with blood-curdling expletiveness. ‘Ain't they jest thu two mos' lovin' waddies yuh eveh see?’ 2007 Sunday Business Post (Ireland) (Nexis) 26 Aug. The remark is on the misdemeanour scale of expletiveness or parliamentary language, however, the remark made by a frustrated employee, was not obscene. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.n.c1450
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