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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
What's the longest word in the English dictionary
'What's the longest word in the English language' usually can only be checked in a dictionary, so when I was a kid (England, 1960s) it was usually qualified as 'What's the longest word in the English dictionary'. So here are a few from various dictionaries. I got the Concise Oxford info and the Merriam Webster info directly from the fine folks oup.com and merriam-webster.com, respectively, others as noted.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 10th edition
floccinaucinihilipilification (29)
Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 8th and 9th edition deinstitutionalization (22)
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th & 11th edition electroencephalographically (27)
OED (3)
floccipaucinihilipilification (29), floccinaucinihilipilification (29)
OED supplement (1)
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45)
Webster's Dictionary (3)
interdenominationalism (22)
Webster's Third International Dictionary (3)
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosises (47)
The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21), the longest words known to most people are antidisestablishmentarianism (28) and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34), and (3) the longest regularly formed word is praetertranssubstantiationalistically (37).
(1) The Guinness Book of Words, Martin Manser, 1988, Guinness Books. (2) The Guinness Book of Records, Norris McWhorter, Ed., 1983, Guinness Superlatives.
(3) The Guinness Book of World Records, Donald McFarlane, Ed., 1989, Bantam Books.
Jeremy >-)
Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 10th edition
floccinaucinihilipilification (29)
Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 8th and 9th edition deinstitutionalization (22)
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th & 11th edition electroencephalographically (27)
OED (3)
floccipaucinihilipilification (29), floccinaucinihilipilification (29)
OED supplement (1)
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45)
Webster's Dictionary (3)
interdenominationalism (22)
Webster's Third International Dictionary (3)
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosises (47)
The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21), the longest words known to most people are antidisestablishmentarianism (28) and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34), and (3) the longest regularly formed word is praetertranssubstantiationalistically (37).
(1) The Guinness Book of Words, Martin Manser, 1988, Guinness Books. (2) The Guinness Book of Records, Norris McWhorter, Ed., 1983, Guinness Superlatives.
(3) The Guinness Book of World Records, Donald McFarlane, Ed., 1989, Bantam Books.
Jeremy >-)
Top answer
On 28 Aug 2003 11:47:46 -0700, Jeremy Smith (Email Removed) wrote, in part: [nq:1]The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21), the longest words known to most people are antidisestablishmentarianism (28) and[/nq] I will, as the occasion arises, use "antidisestablishmentarian". The occasion might well arise (and has done so (BrE:has done)), as my father was an antidisestablishmentarian. Of course, that doesn't mean it's "in common use" (whatever that means).
- On 28 Aug 2003 11:47:46 -0700, Jeremy Smith (Email Removed) wrote, in part: [nq:1]The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21), the longest words known to most people are antidisestablishmentarianism (28) and[/nq] I will, as the occasion arises, use "antidisestablishmentarian".
- The occasion might well arise (and has done so (BrE:has done)), as my father was an antidisestablishmentarian.
- Of course, that doesn't mean it's "in common use" (whatever that means).
- edu/~msh210 /
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7 Answers
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On 28 Aug 2003 11:47:46 -0700, Jeremy Smith (Email Removed) wrote, in part:
[nq:1]The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21), the longest words known to most people are antidisestablishmentarianism (28) and[/nq]
I will, as the occasion arises, use "antidisestablishmentarian". The occasion might well arise (and ha
[nq:1]The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21), the longest words known to most people are antidisestablishmentarianism (28) and[/nq]
I will, as the occasion arises, use "antidisestablishmentarian". The occasion might well arise (and ha
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[nq:1]supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34)[/nq]
Here's what Cecil has to say about this word:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msupercali.html
Here's what Cecil has to say about this word:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msupercali.html
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[nq:2]supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34)[/nq]
[nq:1]Here's what Cecil has to say about this word: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msupercali.html[/nq]
1. That's not Cecil
2. They spelled "etymology" incorrectly (or perhaps they spelled "entomology"incorrectly)
[nq:1]Here's what Cecil has to say about this word: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msupercali.html[/nq]
1. That's not Cecil
2. They spelled "etymology" incorrectly (or perhaps they spelled "entomology"incorrectly)
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[nq:1]The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21),[/nq]
While not quite as long as those, the word "internationalization" (20) is so common in some areas of computer science that it is commonly abbreviated to i18n.
According to Google "internationalization" occurs on 489,000 web pages, while "incomprehensibilities
While not quite as long as those, the word "internationalization" (20) is so common in some areas of computer science that it is commonly abbreviated to i18n.
According to Google "internationalization" occurs on 489,000 web pages, while "incomprehensibilities
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[nq:2]The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21),[/nq]
[nq:1]While not quite as long as those, the word "internationalization" (20) is so common in some areas of computer science that it is commonly abbreviated to i18n.[/nq]
With its cousin "localization" being "l10n".
[nq:1]According to Google "international
[nq:1]While not quite as long as those, the word "internationalization" (20) is so common in some areas of computer science that it is commonly abbreviated to i18n.[/nq]
With its cousin "localization" being "l10n".
[nq:1]According to Google "international
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[nq:1]While not quite as long as those, the word "internationalization" (20) is so common in some areas of computer science that it is commonly abbreviated to i18n.[/nq]
What's particularly nice about this is that if you're a ****** foreigner and spell it "internationalisation", the abbreviation i18n still works.
Mark Brader, Toronto "In my case, self-absorption is (Email Removed) complet
What's particularly nice about this is that if you're a ****** foreigner and spell it "internationalisation", the abbreviation i18n still works.
Mark Brader, Toronto "In my case, self-absorption is (Email Removed) complet
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[nq:2]The Guinness folks (1) say the longest words in common use are disproportionableness (21) and incomprehensibilities (21),[/nq]
[nq:1]According to Google "internationalization" occurs on 489,000 web pages, while "incomprehensibilities" occurs on only 377 and "disproportionableness" on 35. To say that the latter is in common use seems strange.[/nq]
I agree. Those words were echoed in a
[nq:1]According to Google "internationalization" occurs on 489,000 web pages, while "incomprehensibilities" occurs on only 377 and "disproportionableness" on 35. To say that the latter is in common use seems strange.[/nq]
I agree. Those words were echoed in a
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