Antidisestablishmentarianism (word)

For the article discussing the meaning of the word, see Antidisestablishmentarianism.

The English word antidisestablishmentarianism (UK /ˌæntidɪsɪˌstæblɪʃmənˈtɛəriənɪzəm/ ⓘ US /ˌæntaɪ-/ ⓘ) is notable for its unusual length of 28 letters and 12 syllables, and is one of the longest words in the English language.[1] It has been cited as the longest word in the English language (excluding coined and technical terms), although some dictionaries do not recognize it because of its low usage in everyday lexicon.[2]

Antidisestablishmentarianism is a political position that originated in 19th century Britain. The position opposed proposals at that time to remove the Anglican Church's status as the established church of England, Ireland, and Wales, but not in Scotland, which had and still has its own separate national church.[3]

The word became known in the public realm in the United States via a popular television show in the 1950s, The $64,000 Question, when a young contestant correctly spelled it to win.[4]

  1. ^ "What is the longest English word?". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017.
  2. ^ Merriam Webster: "Antidisestablishmentarianism is not in the dictionary"
  3. ^ Sterbenz, Christina. "The 6 English Words Longer Than Antidisestablishmentarianism". Business Insider. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  4. ^ Old Time Radio Bulletin: "Gloria Lockerman and the $64,000 question"