antidisestablishmentarian

plural antidisestablishmentarians

1. One who believes that the Church of England should retain its formal constitutional relationship with the state.First known use hapax legomenon from 19th c.

   2 more examples

   1892, letter of Edward White Benson, quoted in James Anderson Carr, The life-work of Edward White Benson, D.D., sometime Archbishop of Canterbury. London: Elliot Stock, 1898. But the Free Kirk of the north of Scotland are strong anti-Disestablishmentarians. A meeting for Disestablishment can't be got up, even by popular Ministers.

   1900 letter to Pall Mall Gazette A correspondent gives "nonintercommunicability" as the longest word In the English language. While reading the life of Archbishop Benson I came across the following extract from his diary for September, 1892 (page 411): "But the free kirk of the north of Scotland are strong antidisestablishmentarians"—ten syllables, twenty-six letters!

comparative more antidisestablishmentarian · superlative most antidisestablishmentarian

1. Of or relating to the belief that the Church of England should retain its formal constitutional relationship with the state.