Associations to the word «Expletive»

Wiktionary

EXPLETIVE, adjective. Serving to fill up, merely for effect, otherwise redundant.
EXPLETIVE, adjective. Marked by expletives (phrase-fillers).
EXPLETIVE, noun. A profane, vulgar term, notably a curse or obscene oath.
EXPLETIVE, noun. (linguistics) A word without meaning added to fill a syntactic position.
EXPLETIVE, noun. (linguistics) A word that adds to the strength of a phrase without affecting its meaning; an intensifier.

Dictionary definition

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

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats