floccinaucinihilipilification

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Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Usage notes 1.3.2 Related terms 1.3.3 Translations

[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

• IPA: /ˌflɒksɪˌnɒsɪˌnɪhɪlɪˌpɪlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, /ˌflɒksɪˌnɔːsɪˌnaɪɪlɪˌpɪlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, SAMPA: /%flQksI%nQsI&nIhIlI%pIlIfI"keIS@n/, /%flQksI%nO:sI%naIIlI%pIlIfI"keIS@n/
•  Audio 1 (US)^{help, file}
•  Audio 2 (US)^{help, file}
•  Audio (UK)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -eɪʃǝn

[edit] Noun

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

• floccinaucinihilipilificate

[edit] Translations