multisyllabic

Multisyllabic is an adjective used to describe a word that contains more than one syllable. It is commonly contrasted with monosyllabic, meaning a single syllable, and with disyllabic or polysyllabic, which specify two syllables and three or more, respectively. In linguistic descriptions, multisyllabic words exhibit diverse syllable structures and stress patterns, and they play a central role in phonology, morphology, and prosody.

Origin and form: The term derives from Latin multisyllabicus, built from multi- meaning many and syllabic from syllable. The English word entered scholarly usage in the early modern period and has since become a standard descriptor in linguistics and literacy studies.

Examples and usage: Common multisyllabic words include banana (ba-na-na), international (in-ter-na-tion-al), and characteristic (char-ac-ter-is-tic). Multisyllabic words vary in the number of syllables and in where the primary stress falls, which can influence pronunciation, rhythm, and intelligibility, especially for speakers learning a language or reading aloud.

Applications: In language education, recognizing multisyllabic words aids decoding, fluency, and vocabulary development. In poetry and rhetoric, multisyllabic words can affect meter, alliteration, and cadence. In dictionaries and pedagogy, syllabification guides hyphenation and pronunciation, and researchers may analyze syllable patterns to study morphology and phonotactics.

Related terms: Polysyllabic, monosyllabic, disyllabic; see also syllable and syllabic.