William Safire
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It’s no coincidence that replete and complete are close in meaning. Both words come from the Latin verb plēre, meaning "to fill," and both indicate that something contains all that is wanted, needed, or possible. There are some subtle differences in usage, however. Complete applies when all that is needed is present ("a complete picture of the situation"), whereas replete is the synonym of choice when fullness is accompanied by a sense of satiety ("the buffet was replete with dishes from all over the world"). Etymology fans may be interested to know that the list of plēre descendants doesn't end with these two; English is in fact replete with them. Some other words supplied by this Latin verb include deplete, expletive, implement, and supply.
Examples of replete in a Sentence
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Pete Alonso has returned to the team in career form, Francisco Lindor has continued to play like one of the best shortstops in the sport and the pitching staff is replete with pleasant surprises.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Entourage was naturally replete with fictional movies, owing to its entertainment industry milieu.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 29 May 2025
Even though answers were on the right track, AI failed to catch the critical nuances, of which the U.S. tax laws are replete.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for replete
Cite this Entry
“Replete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/replete. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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replete
adjective
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