Electro.en.ceph.a.lo.graph.i.cal.ly
Corey Stanford, an associate editor is a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary says the word Antidisestablishmentarianism is not the longest word in the dictionary. In fact the word is not entered in any of the Merriam dictionaries. Rather, Electro.en.ceph.a.lo.graph.i.cal.ly is the longest word recorded in the Merriam dictionary. For an example, a doctor may say "Have you examined the patient Electroencephalographically yet? Antidisestablishmentarianism seems as if it is the longest word, but the criteria it lacks is meaning and widespread usage. Webster has over 100 years of recorded information on usage of words and the word Antidisestablishmentarianism, although well known, is rarely used. Three criteria are needed in order for a word to be accepted in the Merriam Webster's Dictionaries widespread, sustained, and meaningful usages.
Source:
Electroencephalographically - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electroencephalographically
antidisestablishmentarianism - definition of antidisestablishmentarianism by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/antidisestablishmentarianism
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