multisyllabic

[ muhl-ti-si-lab-ik ]

adjective

1. polysyllabic.

Word History and Origins

Origin of multisyllabic¹

First recorded in 1650–60; multi- + syllabic

Example Sentences

“Many students struggle at the secondary level with decoding, typically multisyllabic words, so those longer words that they’re encountering in science text, for example, or in social studies text,” Wexler said.

From Los Angeles Times

Fernandez added that "greater sac-winged bats possess a large vocal repertoire that includes 25 distinct syllable types. A syllable is the smallest acoustic unit, defined as a sound surrounded by silence. These adult bats create multisyllabic vocalizations and two song types."

From Salon

So imagine the challenge, then, of adapting the story of America’s first treasury secretary for a German-speaking audience — preserving the rhythm, the sound, and the sensibility of the original musical while translating its dense libretto into a language characterized by multisyllabic compound nouns and sentences that often end with verbs, and all in a society that has minimal familiarity with the show’s subject matter.

From New York Times

There’s something about the irrational grudges, passions and furies of the gods and the grim fates thus faced by scores of multisyllabic heroes and heroines that help make the brutal absurdity of everyday life feel reassuringly traditional.

From Washington Post

These adult bats create multisyllabic vocalizations and two song types.

From Salon