lorem ipsum
nounUK /ˌlɔː.ɹəm ˈɪp.səm/ · US /ˌlɔː.ɹəm ˈɪp.səm/
Etymology Pseudo-Latinism, a clipping of dolōrem ipsum (“pain itself”) from Cicero's 45 B.C.E. De Fīnibus Bonōrum et Malōrum adopted by the mid-1960s to assist with artistic text layout.
1
A dummy text used as a placeholder in printing and website design to simplify the layout process, especially the usual pseudo-Latin text beginning Lorem ipsum...
- It was Aldus PageMaker's adoption of Lorem Ipsum that allowed the practice to enter the electronic age […]1999, Digit, London: IDG Communications, →OCLC, page 29:
- If you want something other than quick brown foxes, perhaps you'd like a hunk of lorem ipsums?2000 March 25, Suzanne S. Barnhill <sbarnhill@mvps.org>, “Re: I think there is a combination of keys . , .”, in microsoft.public.word.printingfonts (Usenet), archived from the original on 01 Jun 2026:
4 more examples
- The origin of Lorem Ipsum actually goes back to the early 1500s when typographers would create specimen books of their fonts.2002, Tom Green, Chris S. Flick, Jordan L. Chilcott, Building Web Sites with Macromedia Studio MX, Boston, Mass.: New Riders, →ISBN, page 171:
- Triple-click the lorem ipsum of the text placeholder and begin typing your masterpiece.2007, Steven Sande, Take Control of iWeb: iLife '06 Edition, Berkeley, Calif.: Peachpit Press, →ISBN, page 73:
- One ad... includes sample language: “‘Sarah Republican,’ making an ad against ‘John Democrat,’ should say, ‘Here’s my view—I am pro-life, but, in reality, forget about the political labels, all of us are in favor of life.’” That’s as close as political messaging comes to “lorem ipsum” filler text.2022 May 10, Alex Shephard,, “With Roe, the GOP Is the Dog that Caught the Car”, in The New Republic, archived from the original on 13 Jul 2022:
- the only words passing through his mind were Reject, Failure, it was as if these were the only words actually printed there, over and over, as though someone had replaced the text of the Phenomenology with this lorem ipsum of loathing.2023, Bennett Sims, Other Minds and Other Stories, Columbus, Ohio: Two Dollar Radio, →ISBN, page 143:
- Derived terms
- lipsum
- Related terms
- etaoin shrdlu, greek, greeking, placeholder, rhubarb rhubarb