supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

[ soo-per-kal-uh-fraj-uh-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-i-doh-shuhs ]

adjective

1. (used as a nonsense word by children to express approval or to represent the longest word in English.)

How Do You Spell Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?

Spelling tips for supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

The word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is hard to spell because it is very long and a nonsense word.

How to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: The easiest way to remember how to spell this word is to break it into more familiar component parts: super – cali – fragi – listic – expi – ali – do – cious. It might be tempting to use a j for the syllable fragi, but remember that it is a delicate or fragile word.

More About Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

What does supercalifragilisticexpialidocious mean?

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a nonsensical word that is sometimes used to describe something as being great or extraordinary.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is used especially by children and fans of Disney movies to describe something as being really good.

Outside of this use, this gigantic word is often cited as being one of the longest words in the English language. At 34 letters, it is longer than other mouthfuls, such as antidisestablishmentarianism and floccinaucinihilipilification. If you are a fan of these and other long words, take a look at our article “The Longest Words in the English Language.”

Example: My daughter loves our new puppy so much that she said it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. 

Where does supercalifragilisticexpialidocious come from?

The word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was popularized by the 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins. The film features a song titled “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” which is focused around this huge word and points out its meaninglessness. The songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman have claimed they made up this particular spelling of the word, but the word itself was one they had heard as children.

Did you know ... ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?

• supercede
• super
• superstar
• supercomputer

What are some words that often get used in discussing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?

• Mary Poppins
• nonsense
• long
• length

How is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious used in real life?

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is almost always used in reference to Mary Poppins and the catchy song from the movie.

word of the day: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

because Mary Poppins is one of the best disney movies

— xander (@xanswain) March 25, 2020

Marry Poppins came out 50 years ago today!!! HOLY COW! #supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

— Rose (@RadioRose) August 27, 2014

I kid on the train just told me I looked like Mary Poppins… #supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

— Jaime Lyn Beatty (@jaimelynbeatty) March 12, 2012

Try using supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

True or False?

If a child says something is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, they probably like it.