25 Long Words That Start With S (& Their Meanings)

 

Here are 60 long words starting with the letter “S” and a brief explanation of their meanings. You can use these words to broaden your vocabulary and improve your comprehension of challenging ideas. 

Whether you are a student studying for an important exam, playing a scrabble game with friends, or just looking to increase your knowledge, this list is sure to help.

The English language has numerous lengthy words, but some of them are more challenging to pronounce than others. Many of these words are also considered to be quite complex and can be difficult to understand for those who are not familiar with them. 

From scientific and medical terms to words used in literature and poetry, these words starting with S, demonstrate the vast vocabulary of the English language and the many different fields and disciplines in which they are used.

In either case, studying what they imply will be advantageous to you in the long term.

In this article, we’ll explore 25 long words starting with the letter S, along with their meanings.

Let’s dive right in!

1. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 

This is a word used to describe something extraordinary or wonderful. The word “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” comes from the song of the same name in the Disney musical “Mary Poppins.”

The song is played during a happy lunch in the park with Mary Poppins, kids, and park visitors. 

The word is fictitious and has no clear definition. However, it conveys the songwriter’s delight, excitement, and happiness. It’s tough to resist singing along or grinning when you hear the music since it’s so catchy.

2. Spectrophotometrically 

Spectrophotometry is a method used to gauge how much light at a certain wavelength is absorbed by a material. 

It is common practice to quantitatively assess the concentration of a particular component in a solution in a number of disciplines, including chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology.

The tool used to conduct spectrophotometry is a spectrophotometer. 

A light source, a monochromator (or filter) that chooses a certain wavelength of light, a sample holder, and a detector (such a photodiode or a photomultiplier tube) that gauges the intensity of the light passing through the sample are the standard components.

3. Subterfugacious 

The word “subterfugacious” is not frequently used and is not frequently listed in dictionaries. 

It is probably a word developed by fusing “subterfuge” and “fugacious,” based on the source words and the context in which it might be employed.

A tactic or plan used to trick or dodge something is referred to as “subterfuge.” Fugacious is an adjective that means temporary or transient. 

Therefore, “subterfugacious” would probably be used to characterize something that is dishonest and transient in nature.

4. Salubriousness

The term “salubriousness” describes the state of being salubrious. It is an adjective with the meaning “conducive to health or well-being.” 

Salubriousness, then, is the quality of being advantageous or conducive to health and well-being. It is frequently used to describe things like the environment, the weather, or situations that are seen to be good for individuals and healthy.

It could also be applied to something that encourages health or well-being, such as a savoring environment or diet.

For instance, “The resort’s commitment to providing salubrious accommodations and activities makes it a popular destination for health-conscious guests,” or “The salubriousness of the mountain air made it a great place for a wellness retreat.”

5. Sesquipedalian

The adjective “sequipedalian” describes someone who frequently uses lengthy words. It derives from the Latin term “sesquipedalis,” which refers to a long word and implies “a foot and a half long.” 

Sesquipedalian is a broad term for someone who tends to use big words to appear smart or demonstrate their knowledge. It can also refer to someone who uses long phrases when simple ones would suffice.

It can also be used as a noun to refer to the words themselves or to characterize someone who frequently employs big phrases.

For instance, “The sesquipedalian in the meeting made it difficult for others to keep up with the debate,” or “John’s sesquipedalian vocabulary occasionally made it difficult for his coworkers to comprehend him.”

It is important to note that the phrase can occasionally have a negative connotation, implying that the speaker is arrogant, conceited, or making an excessive effort to sound impressive.

6. Synchronous 

Synchronous is an adjective that refers to things happening at the same time. It can also be used to describe items that are coordinated in their operations.

Synchronous refers to something occurring at the same rate or at regular intervals in technological and scientific domains. 

A synchronous orbit is one in which a satellite or other object completes one orbit in the same length of time as another object, just like a synchronous motor works at a consistent pace.

Synchronous, as used in computer science, describes the concept of waiting for one operation to finish before moving on to the next. Asynchronous, on the other hand, means moving on to other activities without waiting for one to finish.

For instance, “the synchronous movement of the dancers was impressive to witness,” or “the synchronous spinning of the gears ensured seamless running of the machine.”

7. Scintillating 

Scintillating is an adjective that also means “appealing or captivating,” “intellectually engaging or intriguing,” and “sparkling, shining, or glittering.”

It is frequently used to refer to light or gems that shine brightly or flash, such as the stars or a diamond. 

The term can also be used to characterize witty or intelligent speech or writing, particularly when there is clever banter. Or it could be used to describe someone who is particularly interesting and captivating. 

For example, ”the sparkling lights in the night sky were entrancing,” or “the party’s scintillating discussion made the evening fly by.” 

8. Suffragettism

The term “suffragettism” describes the advocacy or support of women’s suffrage, or the ability of women to cast ballots in political elections. 

The phrase is most frequently linked to the women’s suffrage movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when women across several nations launched campaigns for the right to vote, notably in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Members of the British Women’s Social and Political Union, a significant group in the British suffrage campaign from 1903 to 1918, are frequently referred to as “suffragettes” in this context.

Both men and women led the suffragettism social movement, which battled for the right of women to vote. 

The movement, which spanned several decades, included more aggressive measures, including hunger strikes and bombing operations, along with open demonstrations, marches, speeches, and acts of civil disobedience.

Here are two examples in a sentence: “The suffragettism movement was an important aspect of the fight for women’s rights,” or “Her great-grandmother was a suffragette who fought for women’s right to vote.”

9. Superspecialization 

Superspecialization, often referred to as hyper- or ultra-specialization, is the process of becoming extremely highly skilled or specialized in a relatively narrow topic. It is a phrase frequently used in various industries, including engineering, research, and teaching.

A doctor with considerable training and expertise in a very narrow field of medicine, such as endocrinology, cardiothoracic surgery, or pediatric neurology, is an example of a superspecialist in medicine.

Superspecialization in engineering can refer to concentrating on just one kind of machine, system, or a particular type of material or process. In terms of research, it can imply zeroing in on a particularly narrow field of inquiry or approach.

For example: “The company’s superspecialization in developing only one type of product hampered its growth potential in the market,” or “His superspecialization in endocrine surgery allowed him to perform intricate surgeries with precision.”

10. Synchronometrograph

A “synchronometrograph” is a tool or machine used for precise and synchronized time measurement and variable recording.

The words “synchronous” and “metrograph” are the roots of the term “synchronometrograph.” Synchronous refers to simultaneous, and a “metrograph” is a device for recording measurements.

A synchronometrograph is a highly accurate time measurement device that is frequently employed in engineering and scientific research. 

It can be used for time intervals in scientific investigations and to measure and record the speed and location of numerous moving parts in machinery and vehicles, such as industrial automation.

For example, “the synchronometrograph in the laboratory allowed the scientists to measure and record the precise timing of the chemical reactions” or “the synchronometrograph on the aircraft’s engine helped the engineers to analyze the performance of the engine” are examples of how to use it in a sentence.

11. Suprematism 

This is an art movement which emphasis on basic geometric shapes, such as circles, squares, lines, and rectangles

12. Scintigraphy 

Scintigraphy, commonly referred to as nuclear medicine imaging, is a medical imaging procedure that use a specialized camera and a small quantity of radioactive material (or tracer) to provide fine-grained images of the interior of the body. 

This method creates non-invasive images of the interior organs, bones, and other body components and their functions.

A small amount of radioactive material is utilized during the surgery to aid in visualizing the interior organs. This radioactive material is typically supplied through injection. The substance released gamma rays, and a specialized camera used their detection to produce the photos.

After the tracer is delivered, the patient is photographed over time to see the tracer’s location, mobility, and distribution throughout the body. These tracer kinds, known as radiopharmaceuticals, help visualize various body structures.

Cancer, heart and lung illness, bone and joint diseases, and many more conditions can be detected and tracked with scintigraphy. When used in conjunction with other imaging methods like X-rays or CT scans, it can help locate issues that might not be seen otherwise. 

Using it in a sentence would look like this: “The patient underwent a scintigraphy to visualize the function of his heart,” or “The scintigraphy showed that the tumor had metastasized to the patient’s bones.”

13. Superciliousness 

Superciliousness is a term used to describe a haughty or arrogant attitude. It suggests arrogance and looking down on others. 

Supercilious people may act as if they are superior to or more significant than others and maybe dismissive or condescending in their relationships with others. 

The Latin word “supercilium,” which means “eyebrow,” is the source of the English word “supercilious.” This refers to the arched eyebrows, which historically denoted an expression of haughtiness or contempt.

14. Subcategorization 

Subcategorization in linguistics is the act of identifying the range of arguments (also known as “complements”) that a specific verb or preposition can accept. 

The verb “give” is subcategorized for the noun phrase “the book” as the direct object and the prepositional phrase “to my sister” as the indirect object, for instance, in the sentence “I gave the book to my sister.”

Subcategorization frames are typically collections of linguistic components that are anticipated to be connected to particular terms. 

They can be characterized as grammatical frames or templates that outline the grammatical roles—such as nouns, pronouns, or clauses—that a specific word in a sentence may play.

15. Superabundant

The adjective “superabundant” denotes something that is “very abundant; more than enough.” Additionally, it could imply “excessively or luxuriantly abundant.” 

For instance, you might say that a certain forest is superabundant with wildlife to indicate that there is a lot of wildlife there or that someone has a superabundant wealth to indicate that they have more money than they could ever require.

16. Syntactically 

Syntax is an adjective describing the collection of rules that determine how sentences are put together in a given language or system. “Syntactically correct” refers to something that complies with the syntax rules that apply to the language or system in the issue. 

A syntactically sound statement, for instance, would include a subject, a verb, and a logical framework.

As an illustration, the statement “The dog chased the cat” is syntactically sound since it comprises a subject (dog), a verb (chased), and an object (cat), as well as a clear meaning.

17. Supererogation 

Supererogation is a term used in moral philosophy to describe morally righteous behavior that goes above and beyond what is expected of a person. In other words, it refers to the idea of going above and beyond what is seen as the necessary condition for a moral deed.

Supererogation might occur, for instance, if someone finds a lost wallet on the street and is ethically bound to return it, but they also take the time to find the owner and hand deliver the wallet to them. 

Returning the wallet is a morally right thing to do, but making an extra effort to find the owner is superfluous.

18. Supernumerary

Depending on the context, the phrase “supernumerary” can signify a variety of things, but generally speaking, it describes someone or something that is extra or unnecessary.

A supernumerary worker is one who is present at work in excess of the required staff for a given task or job. 

For instance, a factory might need a certain number of workers to run the production line, but it might also have extra workers—referred to as supernumerary employees—who are not necessary for the factory’s basic operations but who could be used in the event of overtime or other unforeseen circumstances.

19. Subsidiarity

Subsidiarity is a principle in political philosophy that holds that social and economic matters should be handled by the smallest and most localized level of government that is able to effectively address the issue at hand. 

The underlying notion holds that rather than being centralized at a higher level of governance, decision-making and problem-solving are better handled at the most local level possible.

The subsidiarity principle is founded on the notion that local groups and individuals can more effectively address their own needs than a centralized government because they have a better awareness of those requirements.

20. Syntagmatically 

The link between words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence or text with regard to their grammatical structure and how they are employed together is referred to as “syntagmatically” in linguistics. 

When words, phrases, or clauses are used together in accordance with a language’s grammatical norms, this is known as a syntagmatic relationship.

The words “the,” “dog,” and “barked,” for instance, are in a syntagmatic relationship since they are employed together in accordance with English grammar rules in the sentence “The dog barked.” The dog is the subject, “the” is the determiner, and “barked” is the verb.

21. Superscription 

Depending on the context, the phrase “superscription” can apply to a variety of things, but generally speaking, it describes something that is written or engraved on top of another object.

The phrase is frequently used to refer to the text inscribed or engraved on the top or outside of a tablet, monument, or another item in ancient inscriptions. 

This could be any pertinent information, such as the title of the person who ordered the inscription or its intended use.

22. Superstructure 

Depending on the context, the word “superstructure” can signify a variety of things, but generally speaking, it describes something that is constructed on top of a more fundamental structure.

The portion of a building that is above the first level or foundation is referred to as the superstructure in architecture. It consists of the top floors, the roof, and vertical structures like towers and chimneys.

In engineering, the portion of a bridge, ship, or other structure that is above the substructure, which is the foundation or lower-level support, is referred to as the superstructure.

23. Supercolossally 

An adverb’s meaning of supercolossally is “extremely or extraordinarily big in scale or size.” It is a word that is used to describe something that is significantly bigger or better than another. 

The phrase “supercolossally” elevates the meaning of the word “colossal,” which itself implies “very enormous or great.” 

Saying something is supercolossally large or big, for instance, a new skyscraper is supercolossally tall are examples.

24. Synchromesh 

The word “synchromesh” is a combination of “synchronize” and “mesh.” It is used to describe the mechanism that allows gears to mesh smoothly and coordinate. 

On the other hand, a classic “crash box” gearbox requires the driver to manually match the engine speed to the gear speed, which could result in a jolting or jerking sensation when shifting gears.

25. Sclerenchyma 

Sclerenchyma is a particular kind of plant cell found in a plant’s stem, leaves, and fruit. 

It is a kind of ground tissue that serves as the plant’s support system and is distinguished by having thick, lignified cell walls.

Wrapping up

In conclusion, the English language is filled with many long words that begin with the letter S. And you’ve just learned a lot of them today. We hope this new knowledge and vocabulary will assist you in doing well on your exams and in life in general.

But failing to optimize your memory is one of the main mistakes people make while attempting to improve their vocabulary. 

It’s always a good idea to put constant work into practicing and improving your memory.

Enroll for the Iris reading Maximizing Memory course right away to increase your reading speed and gain a deeper comprehension of the English language.