expletive deleted
The phrase "expletive deleted" became widely known in the U.S. during the Watergate scandal, where it was used to censor profanity in President Nixon's tapes.
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Definition
B2Writing and Speech
(euphemistic, humorous)A phrase used to indicate that a profane or offensive word has been removed from a text or speech.
Example
- The transcript read, 'I told him to [expletive deleted] off,' to maintain a level of decorum.
B2Censorship
(euphemistic, formal)A notation replacing offensive language in a document, often to comply with standards of decency.
Example
- In the official report, every instance of swearing was marked as '[expletive deleted]'.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "expletive deleted":