The Longest Words in English

1. The longest word in the OED (45 letters, 19 syllables):
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis n [NL, fr. Gk pneumo-n + ISV ultramicroscopic + NL silicon + ISV volcano + Gk konis dust] : a pneumoconiosis caused by the inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust

pronunciation: pneumo-no-ultra-microscopic-silico-volcano-coniosis

2. hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian adj : pertaining to a very, very long word

pronunciation: hippopoto-monstro-sesquipedalian

3. floccinaucinihilipilification humorous. [f. L. flocci, nauci, nihili, pili; words signifying `at a small price' or `at nothing' enumerated in a well-known rule of the Eton Latin Grammar + -fication] The action or habit of estimating as worthless.

1829 SCOTT Jrnl. 18 Mar.
"They must be taken with an air of contempt, a floccipaucinihilipilification [sic, here and in two other places] of all that can gratify the outward man."

pronunciation:`flo.si.no-si. `ni.hili. pili.fi.`ka--sh*n

4. antidisestablishmentarianism [fr. anti- + disestablishmentarian + -ism.] Properly, opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England(rare): but popularly cited as an example of a long word. So antidisestablishmentarian.

1900 N. & Q. 25 Aug. 147/1
In the recent biography of Dr. Benson is an entry from the Archbishop's diary to the effect that `the Free Kirk of the North of Scotland are strong antidisestablishmentarians'.

5. The longest word Shakespeare ever used:
honorificabilitudinity Obs. rare - 0. [ad. med.L. honorificabilitudinitas (Mussatus c 1300 in Du Cange), a grandiose extension of honorificabilitudo, honourableness

"I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word;
for thou art not so long by the head as
honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier
swallowed than a flap-dragon."
[Love's Labour's Lost, Act 5, Scene 1]

6. not too long, but a fun word, nonetheless:
om.pha.lo.skep.sis n [NL, fr. Gk omphalos + skepsis examination--more at spy] (1925): contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation; also: inertia 2

1925 A. HUXLEY Those Barren Leaves V. iv. 366
"The flesh dies... And there's an end of your *omphaloskepsis."

1983 Verbatim Summer 23/1
"Presumably, one arrives at game theory through omphaloskepsis."

7. deinstitutionalization Chiefly N. Amer. [fr. de- II. 2 + institutionalization] The process or action of removing (a person) from an institution, such as a mental hospital, or from the effects of institutional life.

1967 Listener 20 Apr. 518/3
"Russell has never been academic; he has not been confined in a university, except for very short periods; and this gives him a deinstitutionalized setting, which enables him to speak as a human being to great numbers of persons."

1974 Science 2 Aug. 423/2
"A major current trend is toward deinstitutionalization. People who are down on jails believe that the institutional setting is too dehumanizing for any meaningful rehabilitation to take place."

8. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious a. Also supercalifragilistic; formerly also other varr. [Fanciful: cf. SUPER a. 3.] A nonsense-word used esp. by children, now chiefly expressing excited approbation: fantastic, fabulous.

Made popular by the Walt Disney film `Mary Poppins' in 1964. The song containing the word was the subject of a copyright infringement suit brought in 1965 against the makers of the film by Life Music Co. and two song-writers: cf. quots. 1949, 1951. In view of earlier oral uses of the word sworn to in affidavits and dissimilarity between the songs the judge ruled against the plaintiffs.

1971 Daily Tel. 6 Nov. 13/5
If you can stand more than a day of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious entertainment you can settle in at the concrete Contemporary Resort Hotel.

If you linked to this page directly, please visit my home page.