Grandisonianism

/ɡrænˌdɪˈsoʊniənɪzəm/ noun

Definition

A bombastic or grandiose style of speaking or writing that uses inflated, high-sounding language; pompous rhetoric.

Etymology

Derived from 'grandisonous' or referring to Grandisson (a character or style), combined with the suffix '-ism.' It may reference grandiose + sonorous language patterns.

Kelly Says

This wonderfully obscure word captures a real phenomenon in literature and politics—the 18th and 19th centuries were full of speakers who used extravagantly fancy language to sound important, and critics mocked this style as 'grandisonianism'!

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