- Today's Word
Replete
ri-PLEET
Definition
- (adjective)Fully stocked, filled, or abundantly supplied with something.
- Satisfied or full after eating.
Example
The novel was replete with vivid descriptions and intricate plot twists, making it a captivating read.
Fun Fact
“Replete” comes from the Latin repletus, meaning “filled up.” While often used to describe things overflowing with content, it also applies to physical fullness—similar to how we feel after a large meal. In nature, the term is notably used to describe replete ants, a species that stores food in their swollen abdomens to feed the colony during times of scarcity.
(adjective) Obviously planned or forced rather than arising naturally; lacking authenticity or spontaneity.
The film’s ending felt contrived — a sudden reconciliation between characters who had spent two hours proving they could never forgive each other.
Contrived comes from the verb contrive, rooted in the Old French controver, meaning “to imagine” or “to find out,” itself from the Latin contropare — “to compare” or “to devise.” It entered English in the 14th century originally meaning simply to plan or devise something cleverly. Over time the word acquired its current negative undertone, shifting from neutral ingenuity toward the suggestion of something manipulated or artificially engineered to produce a desired effect.