Expletive noun phrase

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An expletive (noun phrase) is a noun phrase (mostly a pronoun-like element) that occupies a syntactic position, but has no semantic role.

Examples

The best-known expletive is the English it in ambient constructions like it is raining, and in extraposition constructions like It is nice that you managed to come.

Origin

This usage seems to date only from the 1970s.