A Placeholder Holds a Place for Something Else
A holder holds something. The word combines with others freely, producing everything from cardholder to placeholder.
A holder is a person or device that holds something. The word is remarkably productive as a second element: *shareholder*, *cardholder*, *stakeholder*, *placeholder*, *titleholder*, *policyholder*. Each names someone by what they hold rather than what they do, which is why so much legal and financial language relies on it.
- A device for holding. *A pen holder.*
- A person who possesses something. *The title holder.*
- Placeholder — something occupying a position temporarily. *A placeholder name.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | holder | A candle holder. |
| Plural | holders | Season ticket holders. |
| Verb | hold | Hold the line. |
| Past | held | Held firmly. |
| Compound | stakeholder | Key stakeholders. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Passport holders may enter freely.Legal.
- Use a placeholder for now.Temporary substitute.
- The title holder defends next month.Sport.
Compounds with holder
- Shareholder — owns shares in a company
- Stakeholder — has an interest in an outcome
- Policyholder — holds an insurance policy
- Placeholder — occupies a position temporarily
- Leaseholder — holds property under a lease
From *hold*, Old English *healdan*, to keep or possess, plus the agent suffix *-er*.
Shareholder or stakeholder?
A shareholder owns part of a company. A stakeholder has an interest in it, which may include employees, customers and neighbours.
What is a placeholder?
Something standing in temporarily for a value or name not yet decided, common in software, forms and drafting.