polysyllabicism

polysyllabicism

English

Etymology

polysyllabic +‎ -ism

Noun

polysyllabicism (usually uncountable, plural polysyllabicisms)

1. (of linguistic expression) The state or characteristic of having a polysyllabic or overly complex style.
   • 1807, W. Taylor, Annual Review, p. 274:

     It will only facilitate the acquirement of a sesquipedalian diction, having the polysyllabicism without the precision of Johnson.

   • 1973, C. G. Dobbs, "Book Review of Soil Micro-Organisms by T. R. G. Gray and S. T. Williams (1971)," The Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 10, no. 2, p. 665:

     If polysyllabicism is considered more 'scientific,' should we not seize the opportunity to call the study of micro-organisms 'mico-organicology'?

   • 2005 Feb. 15, Susan Elkin, In praise of polysyllabicism, Telegraph.co.uk, Telegraph Media Group:

     Vocabulary is the meat, blood and bones of language.

Related terms

• polysyllable
• polysyllabicity
• polysyllabism

References

• “polysyllabicism” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.