polysyllabism

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noun

The state or characteristic of having or using words containing multiple syllables, sometimes as a stage in the development of language.

Scrabble 25
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Meanings

nounpolysyllabism (usually uncountable, plural polysyllabisms)

plural polysyllabisms

  1. uncountableusuallyhuman sciencesThe state or characteristic of having or using words containing multiple syllables, sometimes as a stage in the development of language.

    1936, Martin Joos, "Book Review: The Psycho-Biology of Language by George K. Zipf," Language, vol. 12, no. 3 (July/Sep), p. 202, Chinese polysyllabism is a sort of synthesis, or aggregation, or 'addition' of morphemes and their meanings.

  2. uncountableusuallyPolysyllabicism.

    Cumbrous compounds are formed as the names of objects and a character of tedious and time-wasting polysyllabism is given to the language.

    1867, William Dwight Whitney, Language and the Study of Language, New York: Scribner, page 348
Cite this entry
APA

polysyllabism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysyllabism

MLA

“polysyllabism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysyllabism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polysyllabism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysyllabism.

Source: polysyllabism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.