floccinaucinihilipilification

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

A jocular coinage, apparently by students at Eton, combining a number of roughly synonymous Latin stems. Latin flocci, from floccus, a wisp or piece of wool + nauci, from naucum, a trifle + nihili, from nihilum, nothing + pili, from pilus, a hair, something insignificant (all therefore having the sense of "worthless" or "nothing") + -fication. "Flocci non facio" was a Latin expression of worthlessness, literally "I do not make a straw of...".

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
floccinaucinihilipilification

Plural
uncountable

floccinaucinihilipilification (uncountable)

  1. The act or habit of describing or regarding something as worthless.
    • 1741: William Shenstone, Letters,
      I loved him for nothing so much as his flocci-nauci-nihili-pili-fication of money.
    • 1970: Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander,
      There is a systematic flocci-nauci-nihili-pilification of all other aspects of existence that angers me.

[edit] Usage notes

Often cited as the longest non-technical word in the English language, being one letter longer than the commonly-cited antidisestablishmentarianism.

[edit] Related terms

[edit] Translations

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