sesquipedalian
- Characterized by the use of long words, or of or relating to a long word.
- As a noun, a long word itself.
In a sentence
- The professor's sesquipedalian vocabulary left half the students scrambling for a dictionary.
- It is delightfully sesquipedalian to use the word 'sesquipedalian' to describe itself.
Usage note. Both spelling and meaning are tricky: the word literally means 'foot-and-a-half long' and is itself a prime example of what it describes—a very long word.
Where it comes from
English sesquipedalian — “given to long words” · entered English 17th c.
From Latin 'sesquipedalis', meaning 'a foot and a half long', composed of 'sesqui-' (one and a half) and 'pes/pedis' (foot). The Roman poet Horace used 'sesquipedalia verba' to mock long words humorously. It entered English in the 17th century. Source: Oxford English Dictionary, Etymonline.