Word of the Day: FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION Pronunciation: UK/ˌflɒk.sɪ.nɔː.sɪ.naɪ.hɪl.ɪ.pɪl.ɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ or US/ˌflɑːk.sə.nɑː.sə.naɪ.hɪl.ə.pɪl.ə.fəˈkeɪ.shən/

Meaning:
Floccinaucinihilipilification is the act or habit of estimating something as worthless or unimportant. It is one of the longest non-technical words in the English language. While it sounds incredibly complex, it essentially describes the mindset of being dismissive or "writing something off" as having no value.

Example for daily usage:

• "The billionaire's floccinaucinihilipilification of small change was evident when he left a handful of coins on the table."
• "I refuse to let your floccinaucinihilipilification of my hobbies discourage me from enjoying them."

Also read | Word of the Day, April 20: 'Exacerbate'

Origin and history
This "Frankenstein's monster" of a word was coined by students at Eton College in the 18th century. They took four Latin words from their grammar books that all meant "of little value"-flocci, nauci, nihili, and pili-and mashed them together with the suffix -fication. It was first recorded in a letter by William Shenstone in 1741 and has survived largely as a linguistic curiosity and a challenge for competitive spellers.

Cultural significance and modern usage
Today, the word is rarely used in serious conversation. Instead, it is used as a "flex" of vocabulary or as a humorous way to describe someone being extremely cynical. It has gained fame in political circles; for instance, it was famously used in the United States Senate and the Indian Parliament to mock an opponent's dismissive attitude toward a policy.

Interesting facts
It is 29 letters long, making it longer than "antidisestablishmentarianism."

Despite its length, it is almost never used in a serious or formal academic paper unless the paper is actually about the word itself.

Examples from literature