placeholder

noun

a symbol in a logical or mathematical expression that can be replaced by the name of any member of specified set

a person authorized to act for another

Roots

plateaplace- · Latin · broad open space haldanhold- · Old English · to keep, hold ere-er · Old English · agent noun

Synonyms & related words for placeholder

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of placeholder. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to placeholder

Explore words related to placeholder — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include proxy, denotes, undefined, unassigned, substitute, designator, replacer, replaces. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does placeholder come from?

The word placeholder breaks down into 3 roots of Latin and Old English origin: place, from Latin platea (“broad open space”); hold, from Old English haldan (“to keep, hold”); and -er, from Old English ere (“agent noun”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.