Big word for big vocabulary

What’s a big-vocabulary word for someone with a big vocabulary?

I’d like to say I’m looking for a «_____«.

coleopterist's user avatar

coleopterist

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asked Feb 15, 2011 at 22:27

PFrank's user avatar

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A lexicomane?  Literally: someone who’s mad about dictionaries…

This seems to be too new and/or marginal a coinage to appear in the major dictionaries yet; but it’s made from standard parts, and made well, so should be easily comprehensible (certainly by any big-vocabulary-person), and seems to be gaining quite a bit of currency (googling it reveals plenty of use). On Wordnik.

answered Feb 15, 2011 at 22:34

PLL's user avatar

PLLPLL

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I dunno, I kinda like Thesaurus Rex

enter image description here

answered Feb 16, 2011 at 2:29

Robusto's user avatar

RobustoRobusto

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I was going to suggest sesquipedalian — which is certainly a big word, although perhaps not as precisely aligned with an extensive vocabulary as lexicomane (other than by inference). Still, I’m unsure that PLL’s call is the right one.

RegDwigнt's user avatar

RegDwigнt

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answered Feb 15, 2011 at 23:36

fortunate1's user avatar

fortunate1fortunate1

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Vocabularian has the advantage of being quite adequately hoity-toity while also reasonably clear.

answered Feb 15, 2011 at 23:47

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chaoschaos

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As @PLL and @fotunate1 noted, lexicomane and sesquipedalian are probably the words that most accurately describe someone with a big vocabulary.

Here are some other words that mean one who studies or is knowledgeable in words; such a person would have quite an extensive vocabulary, I’d hope:

  • Philologer
  • Glottologist
  • Wordsmith
  • Vocabulist

answered Feb 16, 2011 at 4:24

Scott Mitchell's user avatar

Scott MitchellScott Mitchell

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You could go with «logophile», a lover of words.

answered Feb 15, 2011 at 23:26

Hellion's user avatar

HellionHellion

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A lexicographer is someone who compiles dictionaries, maybe that would fit the bill? To be honest, your questions isn’t crystal-clear…

answered Feb 15, 2011 at 22:32

F'x's user avatar

F’xF’x

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I came up with 3 terms.

  1. logophile — a lover of words
  2. sesquipedalian loquaciousness — sesquipedalian(long words; polysyllabic) ; loquacious(talkative)
  3. gross verbosity — verbose(wordy)

answered Jan 29, 2014 at 2:27

Megagaltastic: I’m looking for a megagaltastic individual

answered Mar 16, 2013 at 15:59

user39716's user avatar

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Источник

Stupendous!

Can you use it in a sentence?

Updated: March 21, 2022

Originally Published: Dec. 28, 2020

Big Words

Getty Images

Language really is a beautiful thing. Just think about it — all around the world, people are using different languages to speak and communicate with each other. Language is so vast that we can even communicate thoughts and feelings solely by using our bodies. Expanding on your vocabulary is always a great thing, especially if you’re looking for new ways to get your point across. Big meaningful words shouldn’t be intimidating. Instead, these words should be embraced and used way more often. You’re not an egghead if you use different words to express yourself! Rather, you call that a sesquipedalian (aka lover of long words).

Writers love learning unfamiliar words, but so do kids. That means that language can be a blast and an excellent way to bond with your family. Your family can try to use fancy words every day as a challenge. Making those words positive is even better. Right now, our world needs every little bit of cheer it can get, right? So, here are some fun big words for good, words for beautiful, and — of course — the fanciest of words to express love.

Looking for more pages to help boost your brainpower? Check out our funny brain teasers page and are you smarter than a fifth-grader questions.

Big Words for Good

  1. Exceptional — unusually excellent; being out of the ordinary
  2. Positive — fully assured; having or showing a mind free of doubt
  3. Adept — very skilled; proficient
  4. Stupendous — astounding and marvelous
  5. Delightful — highly pleasing
  6. Favorable — winning approval; marked by impressive success
  7. Magnificent — great in deed, or exalted in place; impressive to the mind or spirit
  8. Quintessential — perfectly typical or representative of a particular kind of person or thing
  9. Marvelous — causing wonder; of the highest kind or quality
  10. Tremendous — notable by reason of extreme size, power, greatness, or excellence; being such may excite trembling or arouse dread, awe, or terror
  11. Commonsensical — sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or the facts
  12. Righteous — genuine, excellent
  13. Virtuous — having or exhibiting virtue; morally excellent
  14. Exemplary — deserving imitation because of excellence
  15. Immaculate — having or containing no flaw or error

Big Words for Beautiful

  1. Resplendent — shining brilliantly
  2. Statuesque — majestic dignity, grace, or beauty
  3. Pulchritudinous — physically beautiful
  4. Sublime — supreme or outstanding
  5. Beauteous — beautiful
  6. Ravishing — enchanting; entrancing
  7. Splendiferous — extraordinarily or showily impressive
  8. Ravishing — unusually attractive, pleasing, or striking
  9. Aesthetical — concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  10. Bewitching — powerfully or seductively attractive or charming
  11. Exquisite — pleasing through beauty, physical fitness, or perfection
  12. Captivating — charmingly or irresistibly appealing
  13. Comely — having a pleasing appearance
  14. Fetching — attractive, appealing
  15. Alluring — having a strong, attractive, or enticing quality
  16. Junoesque — imposingly tall and shapely
  17. Telegenic — very photogenic

Big Words for Smart

  1. Resourceful — able to deal skillfully with new situations
  2. Prompt — quick or alert
  3. Sagacious — having or showing keen mental discernment or judgment; shrewd
  4. Canny — astute and skilled
  5. Astute — very clever and sometimes cunning
  6. Intelligent — having or indicating a high or satisfactory degree of mental capacity
  7. Insightful — exhibiting or characterized by insight
  8. Perceptive — capable of exhibiting keen insight or sympathetic understanding
  9. Perspicacious — of acute mental vision or discernment
  10. Discerning — showing insight and understanding
  11. Knowledgeable — having or showing knowledge or intelligence
  12. Well-informed — having extensive knowledge, especially of current topics and events
  13. Enlightened — freed from ignorance and misinformation
  14. Comprehending — grasping the nature, significance, or meaning of something
  15. Ingenious — having or showing an unusual aptitude for discovering, inventing, or contriving

Big Words for Amazing

  1. Prodigious — wonderful or marvelous
  2. Astonishing — causing astonishment or surprise; amazing
  3. Astounding — capable of overwhelming with amazement
  4. Phenomenal — highly extraordinary or prodigious; exceptional
  5. Breathtaking — exciting, thrilling; very great, astonishing
  6. Extraordinary — going beyond what is regular or customary; exceptional to a very marked extent
  7. Sensational — exceedingly or unexpectedly excellent or great
  8. Awe-inspiring — that arouses awe
  9. Incomparable — eminent beyond comparison
  10. Indescribable — surpassing description
  11. Ineffable — incapable of being expressed in words
  12. Transcendent — extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience; being beyond comprehension
  13. Wondrous — that is to be marveled at
  14. Majestic — having or exhibiting majesty
  15. Flabbergasting — overwhelming with shock, surprise, or wonder

Big Words About Love

  1. Devotion — earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc
  2. Adulation — excessive devotion to someone; servile compliments and flattery
  3. Allegiance — loyalty or devotion to a person, group, cause, or the like
  4. Amorousness — the act of being in love
  5. Amativeness — relating to or indicative of love
  6. Enamored — affected by strong feelings of love, admiration, or fascination
  7. Enchantment — the act or art of enchanting
  8. Reverence — honor or respect felt or shown
  9. Infatuated — filled with or marked by a foolish or extravagant love or admiration
  10. Affection — a feeling of liking and caring for someone or something; tender attachment
  11. Tenderness — gentleness and affection
  12. Besottedness — related to being blindly or utterly infatuated
  13. Canonize — to treat as illustrious, preeminent, or sacred
  14. Canoodle — to engage in amorous embracing, caressing, and passionate kissing
  15. Predilection — an established preference for something
  16. Fondness — affection for someone or something
  17. Endearment — a phrase that expresses love

Other Big Words to Use

  1. Elucidate — to explain or make something clear
  2. Selcouth — unusual, strange
  3. Halcyon — characterized by happiness, great success, and prosperity
  4. Orphic — mystic, oracular; fascinating, entrancing
  5. Malaise — physical discomfort or a general feeling of being under the weather
  6. Scintillating — something fascinating or brilliantly clever
  7. Ebullience — the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
  8. Quiddity — whatever makes something the type that it is; the essence
  9. Aeonian — lasting for an immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time
  10. Coruscate — to reflect or give off light in bright beams or flashes; sparkle
  11. Atelophobia — the fear of not doing something right or not being good enough
  12. Cimmerian — very dark or gloomy
  13. Adamancy — the quality or state of being adamant; obstinacy
  14. Evenfall — the beginning of evening, dusk
  15. Orgulous — proud
  16. Parsimonious — frugal
  17. Tantalizing — tormenting or teasing with the sight or promise of something unobtainable; exciting one’s senses or desires
  18. Teasing — in a sexual sense, it means to be sexually arousing
  19. Pulchritudinous — attractive or beautiful
  20. Bellwether — a leader, trendsetter, or boss
  21. Accoutrements — accessories
  22. Magnanimous — courageous, noble, unselfish, or extremely generous
  23. Unencumbered — free or unburdened with responsibilities
  24. Acumen — quickness to judge
  25. Unparagoned — having no equal; matchless, incomparable
  26. Osculator — someone who kisses
  27. Anomalistic — deviation or departure from the norm or rules; phenomenal, exceptional
  28. Usufruct — the right to use and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another
  29. Luminescent — something that displays light that is not caused by heat
  30. Auspicious — favorable, flourishing
  31. Winebibber — a person who drinks too much wine
  32. Excogitate — thinking of something carefully or thoroughly
  33. Gasconading — to brag or gloat
  34. Idiosyncratic — traits that belong to a person’s character
  35. Nidificate — to nest
  36. Cacophony — a loud, obnoxious blend of sounds
  37. Ennui — feeling simultaneously bored and annoyed
  38. Aquiver — feeling overcome with emotion
  39. Umbrage — displeasure, resentment, or anger
  40. Glib — suave or smooth-talking
  41. Ubiquitous — universal or everywhere
  42. Nefarious — wicked or criminal
  43. Capricious — whimsical, fickle, or careless
  44. Boondoggle — work or activity that is wasteful or pointless but gives the appearance of value
  45. Sycophant — a person who flatters someone important in order to take advantage of them
  46. Mellifluous — sweet or musical, pleasant to hear
  47. Brogue — a strong outdoor shoe, usually made of leather
  48. Intelligentsia — intellectuals who form an artistic, social, or political vanguard or elite
  49. Consanguineous — of the same blood or origin; someone who descends from the same ancestor
  50. Grandiloquent — a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality, especially in language
  51. Psychotomimetic — relating to, involving, or inducing psychotic alteration of behavior and personality
  52. Perfidiousness — a betrayal of trust
  53. Preposterous — contrary to nature, reason, or common sense
  54. Anagnorisis — the point in the plot especially of a tragedy at which the protagonist recognizes his or her or some other character’s true identity or discovers the true nature of his or her own situation
  55. Circumlocution — the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea

This article was originally published on Dec. 28, 2020

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It’s true. Good vocabulary plays a huge role in polishing not only writing skills but speech quality as well. It makes you stand out in the crowd. Period! A couple of fancy words mouthed by an individual would leave a lasting impression, and one would automatically consider them to be smart!

Your speech and appearance are two factors that influence your personality. Why not add some grace to the former by learning a few words that would send out a strong signal? You need not be an avid reader or bookworm, just stay with us and we’ll get you to it.

We have the perfect list of vocabulary words that would make you look smart and sound appealing! For words that are too complex to understand will be used in sentences so that you can apprehend the meaning easily.

P.s: These words are exclusively hand-picked for you. I bet you won’t find a list as imposing as this!

104 Simple Words with Complex Meanings

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Gaunt

Lean and haggard because of hunger or age.

Ascetic

Severe self-discipline. One who avoids self-indulgence.

Culpable

Deserving blame.

Sleuth

A detective or investigator.

Soughing

To make a whistling or ruffling sound, such as that of the leaves in wind.

Foreordained

To appoint something beforehand. For example, success can not be foreordained.

Denigrate

To criticize unfairly.

Mundane 

Of relating to practical affairs. Or one who is boring and dull. For example, returning to a mundane work routine is hard after a weekend.

Primordial

Existing from the beginning of time. Or basic/fundamental needs.

Reverence

Massive respect for something or someone.

Omniscience

The state of knowing everything. For example, God is omniscient.

Omnipresent

Being present everywhere at the same time. 

Welter

Moving in a turbulent or non-orderly manner. For example, the weltering group of cows.

Accretion

Things that are formed by gradual growth or increase. For example, the accretion of cultures or financial assets.

Elide

To omit from speech. Or merge together. For example, eliding the scenes of a play. 

Disavowal

Denying any responsibility or knowledge of something. For example, disavowal of earlier statements in court. 

Pragmatic

A practical and sensible approach rather than a theoretical one. For example, making pragmatic decisions about life.

Dogmatic

Expressing opinions so strongly that they look like facts. For example, being dogmatically rigid in matters of choices.

Venerable

Associated with massive respect. For example, a venerable teacher.

Raucous

Making a harsh or loud noise.

Consecration

Declaring something sacred.

Aristocratic

Of belonging to an elite or supreme society/family.

Emaciated

Unusually thin or weak.

Reverberate

Having continuous or dire effects. Or the echoing of a voice. 

Stoic

Being indifferent to pain or pleasure.

Bolster

To support or strengthen.

Apocryphal

Something of doubtful authenticity being circulated as the truth. For example, his apocryphal lies about me have shunned my confidence. 

Innocuous 

Non-offensive and unharmful. For example, an innocuous remark.

Enviable

Something that has the potential to attract envy or desire. For example, a job with a handsome salary would be enviable.

Futile

Pointless. For example, a futile effort.

Trudge

Walking slowly with heavy steps. For example, trudging with exhaustion.

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Gingerly

In a careful manner. For example, walking gingerly so that no one in the house wakes up.

Profanity

Blasphemous or obscene language.

Vehement

A strong or passionate feeling.

Castigate

To reprimand severely. 

Facile

To ignore the complexity of an issue. To look at something only superficially. For example, a facile observation of his bruises leads to ambiguity in the investigation.

Facade

The primary part of a building facing a street/road. Or an outward appearance that is deliberately false (to give a wrong impression). For example, don’t fall for his smile for it is only a facade to mask his pain.

Hone

To sharpen something (such as a spear) or to perfect a skill. For example, she honed her skills to earn the title of the best graphic designer in her firm.

Penchant

A strong liking or admiration for something. For example, she has a penchant for everything pink.

Caprice

A sudden change of mood. For example, I fear hanging out with her because of her capricious personality.

Abominable

Something terrible. Or something that causes moral revulsion. For example, the abominable acts of the corrupt government made the poor suffer.

Impertinence

Lack of respect or rudeness. For example, his inability to converse with other people was perceived as an impertinence. 

Purview

Range of experience or thought. For example, 

Wager

Risking someone else’s money. For example, he’s wagered all his father’s pension money on gambling and casinos.

Concede

Accepting something after initially declining it. For example, after catching his son red-handed he couldn’t help but concede the rumors.

woman reading book while sitting on chair

Beguile

Charming someone in a deceptive manner. For example, she is easily beguiled by looks and money.

Florid

Having a red complexion.

Fend

Looking after oneself without any help from others. For example, after the death of her parents, she had to fend for bread and butter.

Bemused

Puzzled or confused.

Commital

The action of sending someone to prison or a psychiatric institution.

Sentinel

A person or thing that stands guard or watches. For example, the policeman sentinelled all the suspects until their bail was granted.

Pudgy

Fat. 

Perched

Resting or sitting on something high and narrow. For example, perching on the arms of a chair.

Bellowing

A loud roar.

Clobbered

To hit someone hard or to deal with someone harshly. For example, next time he misbehaves with me I’ll clobber him.

Stride

Taking a long step.

Woman reading her favorite book near a window

Propitious

Favorable or something that indicates success. For example, a propitious consensus was reached once the meeting ended.

Precocious

Developing a behavior or ability before age. For example, her reading habit lent her a precocious writing talent.

Prodigy

A young individual with exceptional talent. For example, she emerged as a child prodigy with those outstanding mathematical skills.

Capitulation

Ceasing to resist a demand or opponent. The act of surrendering. For example, the opposition had to capitulate to the demands of the government.

Concord

An agreement between two groups. For example: after a vicious battle, the two teams finally decided to reach a concord. 

Dubious

Hesitant or doubtful. For example, I was dubious about purchasing such a shady property.

Acrid

Unpleasant in taste or smell. For example, the acrid smoke from the chimney made me nauseous.

Cadence

Rhythm or modulation of the voice. For example, she spoke with cadence and confidence at the international conference. 

Surly

Unfriendly and rude. For example, her surly behavior is the reason why she doesn’t have any friends.

Roving

Constantly moving from one place to another. For example, the roving life of a nomad.

Subliminally

Below the threshold of conscious perception. For example, commercials these days send out subliminal messages that manipulate the viewer.

Rebuttal

Disagreeing or denying formally in a debate. For example, his accusations were met with a firm rebuttal.

Partake

To have a share in something.

Asinine

Stupid or foolish.

Iconoclast

An individual who attacks or criticizes personal beliefs and religion.

Strident

A loud and harsh sound. 

Proponent

Someone who proposes or advocates something. For example, he was a strong proponent of legal trade policies.

Wallow

Indulging or plunged. For example, his memories wallowed him.

Illicit

Forbidden. For example, smoking was strictly illicit in the common room.

Elicit

To get something. For example, eliciting a reaction.

Petulant

Sulky or rude. For example, his petulant behavior offended me.

Itinerary 

A travel log or a planned journey. 

Trope

A figurative or metaphorical use of an expression. 

Botched

To carry out something carelessly. For example, a botched surgery due to lack of experience of the clinician.

Jettison

To discard.

Primly

An excessively proper manner.

Expedient

Advantageous. For example, the recruiters were only going to hire expedient individuals.

Solicitous

Showing interest or concern. For example, teachers are always solicitous about their students.

Harangue

A lengthy and aggressive speech.

Congenially

Pleasing or likable attributes because they are similar to one’s own. For example: due to his congenial personality, he has a large social circle.

Brusquely

A short and abrupt reply. For example, the cashier was brusque with the customers.

Cachet

Prestige. Or a distinguishing mark. For example, this high-end cosmetic company has a cachet that attracts a lot of customers.

Dour

Relentlessly severe, stern, or gloomy. 

Cryptic

Mysterious.

Conciliation

Stopping someone from being angry. For example, they both were furious so someone had to conciliate. 

Contrived

Deliberately created rather than arising naturally or with the flow. For example, the contrived ending of this movie made me dislike it entirely.

Jarred

To have an unpleasant feeling or effect. For example, his loud munching jarred on my ears. 

Chiding

Critical and full of rebuke. For example, the headmistress chided us for wearing dirty uniforms.

Ask Away: The FAQ Section

Harry Potter Quotes

What are some good vocabulary words?

  • Nonchalant
  • Philandering
  • Frivolous
  • Preemptively
  • Gaped
  • Dolt
  • Impassive
  • Vituperation
  • Anachronism
  • Exasperation
  • Abashed
  • Acquiesced
  • Pummeled 
  • Plummeted 
  • Mural
  • Uxorious
  • Petulant
  • Accosted

Which vocabulary word goes with similar?

  • Akin
  • Alike
  • Analogous 
  • Same
  • Comparable 
  • Relative
  • Cognate

What are the four types of vocabulary?

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are the four types of vocabulary.

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Those really big words of which you can discombobulate your friends with, or increase just increase your big-word vocabulary!

40 words

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Full list of words from this list:

  1. grandiloquent

    lofty in style

  2. prognosticator

    someone who makes predictions of the future

  3. magniloquence

    high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation

  4. quintessence

    the most typical example or representative of a type

  5. kaleidoscopic

    made up of varied and constantly shifting elements

  6. confabulation

    a discussion or informal conversation

  7. flibbertigibbet

    a foolish, flighty, and overly talkative person

  8. discombobulate

    cause to be confused emotionally

  9. antediluvian

    of or relating to the period before the biblical flood

  10. prevaricator

    a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly

  11. infinitesimal

    immeasurably small

  12. protuberance

    something that bulges out or projects from its surroundings

  13. magnanimous

    noble and generous in spirit

  14. tempestuous

    characterized by violent emotions or behavior

  15. serendipitous

    lucky in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries

  16. anthropomorphic

    suggesting human features for animals or inanimate things

  17. caliginous

    dark and misty and gloomy

  18. onomatopoeia

    using words that imitate the sound they denote

  19. conglomeration

    a sum total of many varied things taken together

  20. acrimonious

    marked by strong resentment or cynicism

  21. acculturation

    the adoption of the behavior patterns of one’s surroundings

  22. rambunctious

    noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline

  23. vehemence

    intensity or forcefulness of expression

  24. pseudonym

    a fake name used to engage in some activity

  25. vituperative

    marked by harshly abusive criticism

  26. harlequinade

    acting like a clown or buffoon

  27. pusillanimous

    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution

  28. tintinnabulation

    the sound of a bell ringing

  29. contumacious

    willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient

  30. chiaroscuro

    the arrangement or interplay of light and dark in an artwork

  31. colloquium

    an academic meeting, conference, or seminar

  32. idiosyncrasy

    a behavioral attribute peculiar to an individual

  33. xenotransplantation

    a surgical procedure in which tissue or whole organs are transfered from one species to another species

  34. ventriloquist

    a performer who projects the voice into a wooden dummy

  35. kleptomaniac

    someone with an irrational urge to steal

  36. equivocal

    open to two or more interpretations

  37. pandemonium

    a state of extreme confusion and disorder

  38. mendacious

    given to lying

  39. philanthropic

    of or relating to charitable giving

  40. veracious

    habitually speaking the truth

Created on April 27, 2012
(updated November 30, 2012)

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Published August 27, 2021

That’s a big word, indeed!

Most of the longest words in the English language are scientific and technical terms, like pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. But what are some long words that you might actually use one day, without having to become a microbiologist or something? We have gathered up over a dozen lengthy words that you might actually come across in the wild (or at least might actually want to use). If you are a sesquipedalian, or hope to become one one day, this slideshow is for you. And to find out what sesquipedalian means, read on.

For a look at the longest words you’re likely never to use, just click here.

sesquipedalian

Sesquipedalian [ ses-kwi-pi-dey-lee-uhn ] means “given to using long words.” It comes from Latin sesquipedālis meaning “measuring a foot and a half.”

  • The professor was so sesquipedalian that he was often incomprehensible to his students.

The poet Horace, who is credited with coining the term sesquipedalian in Latin, used the word to warn young poets against using overly long and complicated words. Horace, of course, ironically did not take his own advice here to make his point—sesquipedalian itself is 14 letters long.

magnanimity

If someone asks you the meaning of a word, it’s important to have magnanimity [ mag-nuh–nim-i-tee ] about it. Magnanimity means “the quality of being generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness.”

  • We hoped that the Queen would show magnanimity and not sentence us to prison for the slight.

The related term magnanimous comes from the Latin for “great-souled.” Impressive.

Speaking of soul, experience the linguistic offerings of soul food by reading about its history and vocabulary.

decompensation

As we noted, many of the longest terms in English are scientific and or medical terms. Some of these are so complex, it is unlikely you will come across them unless you are in the field. Others you are more likely to encounter, like decompensation [ dee-kom-puhn-sey-shuhn ]. Decompensation means “the inability of a diseased heart to compensate for its defect.”

  • I observed some symptoms of heart decompensation in the patient, including difficulty breathing and leg swelling.

While typically decompensation refers to the heart organ no longer working properly, it can also be used to refer to other organs or a psychological state.

counterrevolutionary

One way long words are created in the English language is by combining different word elements together to create a new word. That’s the case with counterrevolutionary, a combination of counter, revolution, and the suffix –ary. Counterrevolutionary means “opposing a revolution or revolutionary government.”

  • After the revolutionaries came to power, the landed gentry began plotting a counterrevolutionary movement to regain control.

deinstitutionalization

Public policy is another domain where you will find especially long words. An example is deinstitutionalization, meaning “the release of institutionalized people, especially mental health patients, from an institution for placement and care in the community.”

  • Many studies find that deinstitutionalization led to an increase in the number of mentally ill people in prison.

transcendentalism

Our next term, transcendentalism [ trans-sen-den-tl-iz-uhm ], also describes an American social experiment, of sorts, from the 19th century. Transcendentalism, or transcendental philosophy, is “a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical.”

  • The group quickly embraced the principles of transcendentalism, including respect of nature and the importance of human effort.

The writers most closely associated with transcendentalism are Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Thoreau.

paleoanthropology

As you may have gathered, many academic terms are quite long. Even the names of some academic disciplines can get up there in length, like paleoanthropology [ pey-lee-oh-an-thruh–pol–uh-jee ]. Paleoanthropology is “the study of the origins and predecessors of the present human species, using fossils and other remains.”

  • One of the most important aspects of paleoanthropology is determining whether ancient fossilized remains are Homo sapien or another hominin species.

Learn about other intriguing areas of study and profession with this article on 10 other “-ologist” professions.

psychophysiology

Another academic domain with a daunting name is psychophysiology, “the branch of physiology that deals with the interrelation of mental and physical phenomena.” Physiology is the branch of biology that deals with the functions and activities of living organisms.

  • The medical students studied psychophysiology to learn how heart rate is related to a patient’s emotional state.

The psycho- part of the word psychophysiology is a combining form meaning “psyche” or “mind.”

countercyclical

Yet another area where you are likely to find long, complex terminology is in business and economics. That’s where we get the term countercyclical, “opposing the trend of a business or economic cycle; countervailing.” For example, reducing spending when the economy is doing well is an example of a countercyclical economic policy.

  • Our panel of economic advisors recommends that we enact countercyclical infrastructure investment; when the economy is doing poorly, we should spend more on roads and bridges.

profligacy

Another lengthy term related to economics is profligacy [ prof-li-guh-see ], meaning “reckless extravagance” or “great abundance.”

  • Budget hawks were once again warning that the government’s profligacy was going to increase the nation’s debt.

The word profligacy ultimately comes from the Latin prōflīgātus, meaning “degraded” or “debased.”

palingenesist

Philosophy and theology are also great sources for long words. One example is palingenesist [ pal-in-jen–uh-sist ], “a person who believes in a doctrine of rebirth or transmigration of souls.”

  • The palingenesist Plutarch believed that the soul is reborn into another body after death, a theory known as metempsychosis.

(Bonus big word: metempsychosis!)

The original use of the word palingenesis, or the continual rebirth of the universe, dates back to ancient Greek philosophers known as the Stoics.

palimpsest

Another long word we can thank the Greeks for is palimpsest [ pal-imp-sest ], from Greek palímpsēstos, meaning “rubbed again.” The word palimpsest in English originally meant “a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.”

  • Scholars use sophisticated equipment like optical scanners to read the remains of erased texts on Medieval palimpsests.

These days, palimpsest is most often used figuratively to mean “something that has a new layer, aspect, or appearance that builds on its past and allows us to see or perceive parts of this past.”

antepenultimate

Our third to the last word in this slideshow is, appropriately, antepenultimate [ an-tee-pi-nuhl-tuh-mit ]. Antepenultimate means “third from the end.”

  • I was relieved to see that I was slated to be the antepenultimate speaker, so I would only have to wait for two more presentations after my own.

The word antepenultimate ultimately comes from the Latin antepaenultima meaning “the second (syllable) from the last.”

dodecaphonism

Some long words are just fun to say. That’s the case with dodecaphonism, “musical composition using the 12-tone technique.” Dodecaphonism [ doh-dek–uh-fuh-niz-uhm ] is a composition technique that uses all 12 notes of the chromatic scale and is atonal.

  • The dodecaphonism in the composer’s work created a strange and unsettling feeling in the listeners.

amelioration

A particularly long word that we hope you find a lot of good use for is amelioration, “an act or instance of making better.”

  • We were hopeful that the move would lead to an amelioration of our living conditions and a better quality of life overall.

Funnily enough, amelioration [ uh-meel-yuh-rey-shuhn ] and melioration mean the exact same thing.

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