Word of the Day
: March 16, 2021replete
playWhat It Means
1 : fully or abundantly provided or filled
2 a : abundantly fed
3 : complete
replete in Context
"Early pictures of the garden show a space painfully empty of the layering and vitality of a replete garden." — Adrian Higgins, The Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2020
"History is replete with examples of how presidents have kept the American public in the dark about their ailments and medical conditions. Grover Cleveland, fearing poor health would be a political weakness, underwent secret oral surgery late at night in a private yacht in Long Island Sound." — Deb Riechmann, The Associated Press, 3 Oct. 2020
Did You Know?
Given that one of the roots of replete is the Latin verb plēre, meaning "to fill," it isn't surprising that the word has synonyms such as full and complete. Replete, full, and complete all indicate that something contains all that is wanted or needed or possible, but there are also subtle differences between the words. Full implies the presence or inclusion of everything that can be held, contained, or attained ("a full schedule"), while complete applies when all that is needed is present ("a complete picture of the situation"). Replete is the synonym of choice when fullness is accompanied by a sense of satiety.
