DictionaryAI

placeholder

noun
PLAYS-hohl-dur/ˈpleɪsˌhoʊldɚ/UKPLAYS-hohl-duh/ˈpleɪsˌhəʊldə/

Pluralplaceholders

1 meaning of placeholder

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    Something standing in for what is not yet known or ready, or for details kept general on purpose, such as stand-in text, a name like Company X, or an empty text box's hint.

    The designer filled the page with placeholder text until the writers sent the real copy.

    The interim coach was seen as a placeholder until the club could hire a big name.

    UsageOften with as or until: use XX as a placeholder until the real date is known.

    Similarstand-in, stopgap, filler, substitute, dummy

    Note

    The word is simply place plus holder, and it keeps the picture of something minding a seat for someone else. Said of a person or a joke, it can carry a slight put-down: the thing fills the spot without owning it.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

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Origin

A compound of place + holder.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact