floccinaucinihilipilificate

English

WOTD – 15 January 2013, 15 January 2015

Etymology

Back-formation from floccinaucinihilipilification.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌflɒk.sɪˌnɒs.ɪˌnɪ.hɪl.ɪˈpɪl.ɪ.fɪ.keɪt/, /ˌflɒk.sɪˌnɔːs.ɪˌnaɪ.ɪl.ɪˈpɪl.ɪ.fɪ.keɪt/

• Audio (Southern England):

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Verb

floccinaucinihilipilificate (third-person singular simple present floccinaucinihilipilificates, present participle floccinaucinihilipilificating, simple past and past participle floccinaucinihilipilificated)

1. (colloquial) To describe, estimate or regard something as worthless.
   • 1998 December 30, Ahasuerus, “Re: Authors On This Newsgroup”, in rec.arts.sf.written‎^[1] (Usenet):

     Not to floccinaucinihilipilificate your other theories, Graydon, but perhaps it would be beneficial to answer this question first?

   • 2000 February 16, Jens Ayton, “Re: [I] Book Review”, in alt.fan.pratchett‎^[2] (Usenet):

     The fact that you couldn't manage to do that and spell at the same time is downright pitiable. I feel inclined to floccinaucinihilipilificate you entirely.

   • 2004 June 15, Peter Fairbrother, “Re: Factoring paper is wrong”, in sci.crypt‎^[3] (Usenet):

     If you are impolite to us, we will ignore you and diss you and publicly or privately floccinaucinihilipilificate your work just because you were rude.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:floccinaucinihilipilificate.

Related terms

• floccinaucinihilipilification
• floccinaucinihilipilificatious

Translations

to regard as worthless

• Finnish: mitätöidä (fi), vähätellä (fi)