placeholdervariable
nounA placeholder variable is a pretend name that holds a spot until the real thing is ready.
The teacher used a placeholder variable in the example code so students could fill in their own numbers later.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In computer programming, a variable used temporarily to hold a value before the final data is assigned.
The programmer declared a placeholder variable at the top of the function and replaced it with user input later.
3. In statistics, a variable included in a model to stand in for a category or missing factor.
Researchers added a placeholder variable to account for participants who did not report their age.
4. In writing or design, a symbol or name that marks where real content will go.
The template used a placeholder variable like [NAME] so each letter could be personalized.