different between sesquipedalian vs pedantic

English

Etymology

From sesquipedal +? -ian (adjective- and noun-forming suffix), root from Latin sesquipedalis (literally “a foot and a half long”), from Latin s?squi (“one and a half times”) + Latin ped?lis (“measuring a foot”) (form of pes (“foot”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?skw?p??de?l??n/
• Hyphenation: ses?qui?pe?da?li?an

Noun

sesquipedalian (plural sesquipedalians)

1. A long word.
   • 1830, On the Art of Rising in Prose The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal, part 2, v. 29, Henry Colburn and Co., page: 162:

     “The fine old fellow,” as a Northern contemporary of ours patronizingly calls him, certainly rolled out his sesquipedalians with a majesty previously unknown, and gave a fine organ-like swell to his full-blow periods;

   • 1927, John S. Farmer, William Ernest Henley, A Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English: Abridged from the Seven-volume Work, Entitled "Slang and Its Analogues", Taylor & Francis, page: 164:

     Fleet-streetese, the so-called English written to sell by the Fleet-streeter (q.v.), or baser sort of journalist: a mixture of sesquipedalians and slang, of phrases worn threadbare and phrases sprung from the kennel;

   • 1952, Hannah More, Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, page: 220:

     ‘Sometimes we converse in ballad-rhymes, sometimes in Johnsonian sesquipedalians; at tea we condescend to riddles and charades.’

2. A person who uses long words.
   • 2008, Richard Dawkins, The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing,Oxford University Press, page: 106:

     Word-watchers, verbivores, and sesquipedalians love a challenge.

   • 2009, Sally Adams, Wynford Hicks, Interviewing for Journalists, Taylor & Francis, page: 97:

     ‘What sort of writer is the English professor looking for?’ / ‘He wants a sesquipedalian, of course.’

   • 2012, Jonathan Herring, How to Argue: Powerfully, Persuasively, Positively, FT Press, chapter 8, page: ?:

     Don’t be a sesquipedalian! / Yes, you guessed right. A sesquipedalian is a person who enjoys long words.

Translations

Adjective

sesquipedalian (comparative more sesquipedalian, superlative most sesquipedalian)

1. (of a word or words) Long; polysyllabic.

   The most common use of "antidisestablishmentarianism" is as an example of a sesquipedalian word.
2. Pertaining to or given to the use of overly long words.

   Our dinner guest was so sesquipedalian that no one could understand what he said.

Synonyms

• (of long words): polysyllabic
• (given to the use of long words): See Thesaurus:verbose

Antonyms

• (of long words): monosyllabic, brachysyllabic
• (given to the use of long words): See Thesaurus:concise

Derived terms

• sesquipedalianism – literary style characterised by the use of long words.
• sesquipedalianist – a writer using sesquipedalianism.
• sesquipedalophobia – fear of long words.

Related terms

• hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
• sesquipedal
• sesquipedality

Translations

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “sesquipedalian”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

English

Alternative forms

• pedantick (obsolete)

Etymology

From pedant +? -ic.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pa-d?n't?k, IPA^(key): /p??dæn.t?k/
• Rhymes: -ænt?k

Adjective

pedantic (comparative more pedantic, superlative most pedantic)

1. Like a pedant, overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning.
2. Being showy of one’s knowledge, often in a boring manner.
3. Being finicky or fastidious, especially with language.

Synonyms

• (like a pedant): (informal, derogatory) anal-retentive, fussy, nit-picky
• (showy of one's knowledge): (sometimes applicable) nit-picky, ostentatious, pedagogical, pretentious
• (finicky with language): fussy, nit-picky, inkhorn
• See also Thesaurus:fastidious

Related terms

• pedant
• pedantry

Translations

Further reading

• pedantic in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• pedantic at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• depactin, pentacid, pentadic