2 9 ▁letters . ▁Cons isting ▁of ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁Latin ▁words ▁meaning ▁" nothing " ▁and ▁defined ▁as ▁" the ▁act ▁of ▁estim ating ▁something ▁as ▁worth less "; ▁its ▁usage ▁has ▁been ▁recorded ▁as ▁far ▁back ▁as ▁ 1 7 4 1 . ▁ ▁Ross ▁E ck ler ▁has ▁noted ▁that ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁longest ▁English ▁words ▁are ▁not ▁likely ▁to ▁occur ▁in ▁general ▁text , ▁meaning ▁non - techn ical ▁present - day ▁text ▁seen ▁by ▁cas ual ▁readers , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁author ▁did ▁not ▁specifically ▁intend ▁to ▁use ▁an ▁unus ually ▁long ▁word . ▁According ▁to ▁E ck ler , ▁the ▁longest ▁words ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁encountered ▁in ▁general ▁text ▁are ▁de inst itution al ization ▁and ▁counter re volution aries , ▁with ▁ 2 2 ▁letters ▁each . ▁ ▁A ▁computer ▁study ▁of ▁over ▁a ▁million ▁samples ▁of ▁normal ▁English ▁pro se ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁longest ▁word ▁one ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁encounter ▁on ▁an ▁every day ▁basis ▁is ▁un character ist ically , ▁at ▁ 2 0 ▁letters . ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁international ization ▁is ▁abbre vi ated ▁" i 1 8 n ", ▁the ▁embedded ▁number ▁representing ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁letters ▁between ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁the ▁last . ▁ ▁Cre ations ▁of ▁long ▁words ▁ ▁Co in ages ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁play ▁Assembly w omen ▁( E cc lesia z ous ae ), ▁the ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁com edic ▁play w right ▁Arist oph anes ▁created ▁a ▁word ▁of ▁ 1 7 1 ▁letters ▁( 1 8