replete

Replete is an adjective describing something that is filled to capacity or abundantly supplied. It often conveys that the thing filled is rich in content or quality. In contemporary use, replete is commonly paired with with, as in phrases like replete with examples or a library replete with rare editions. It can also describe a state of fullness on its own, as in a meal that is replete.

Etymology traces replete to Latin repletus, the past participle of replere or replere, meaning to fill again. The Latin form comes from re- “again” plus plenere/plere “to fill,” from the root plenus meaning full. The word entered English via Old or Middle French and Early Modern English, retaining a formal, literary tone.

Usage notes: Replete is more common in written or formal contexts than in casual speech. It is typically used to emphasize abundance or fullness that is noteworthy. The usual construction is replete with [something], though in older or more literary style it can stand alone as replete, meaning full or well supplied. For example, “The book is replete with informative illustrations” or “The garden was replete with blossoms.”

Related terms include repletion (the state of being full), replenish (to fill again), and plenitude (a state of fullness or sufficiency). Replete carries a nuance of deliberate or impressive abundance, rather than mere fullness, and is often chosen to convey a sense of richness or completeness.