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English
Etymology
A jocular coinage, apparently by students at Eton, combining a number of roughly synonymous Latin stems. L. 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.
Pronunciation
IPA|/�fl�ksɪ�n�sɪ�nɪhɪlɪ�pɪlɪfɪ�keɪ��n/, /�fl�ksɪ�n��sɪ�naɪɪlɪ�pɪlɪfɪ�keɪ��n/
SAMPA|/%flQksI%nQsI&nIhIlI%pIlIfI"keIS@n/, /%flQksI%nO:sI%naIIlI%pIlIfI"keIS@n/
audio|en-us-floccinaucinihilipilification.ogg|Audio 1 (US)
audio|en-us-floccinaucinihilipilification_2.ogg|Audio 2 (US)
audio|en-uk-floccinaucinihilipilification.ogg|Audio (UK)
:Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-eɪ��n|-eɪ��n
Noun
floccinaucinihilipilification
- The act or habit of describing or regarding something as worthless.
#*1741: w:William Shenstone|William Shenstone, Letters,
#*:I loved him for nothing so much as his flocci-nauci-nihili-pili-fication of money.
#*1970: w:Patrick O'Brian|Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander,
#*:There is a systematic flocci-nauci-nihili-pilification of all other aspects of existence that angers me.
Usage notes
Often cited as the longest non-technical word in the English language, being one letter longer than the commonly-cited antidisestablishmentarianism.
Translations
trans-top|act or habit of describing or regarding something as worthless
German: Geringschätzung f
trans-mid
trans-bottom
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