Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherungsrecht is in the dictionary.

Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften isn’t in the dictionary, but it’s a common word.

However, Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz didn’t make it into the dictionary, and now it’s not even a word – though it was never really common, in any event.

These three German words, meaning “motor vehicle liability insurance act,” “legal companies providing insurance,” and “law regarding the delegation of duties for the oversight of cattle marking and beef labeling” are (or were) some of the longest words in any language. German, Finnish, and other languages have an advantage over English in this area, because they are agglutinative, meaning it is possible to form new words by combining whole or parts of other words together. In the worldwide “longest common words” competition, if that even exists, English comes in well behind the leaders.

For example, in Finland a kolmivaihekilowattituntimittari is a type of electricity meter (31 letters). French protesters can chant about government laws they feel have been passed anticonstitutionnellement (“unconstitutionally” in 25 letters). Italy has a quick response with the word precipitevolissimevolmente (26 letters) which means “as fast as you can.” The longest word in a standard English dictionary is antidisestablishmentarianism which does have 28 letters, but it’s not exactly common any more. It means “opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England” but since that issue was resolved over a century ago, we doubt anyone’s using this in a sentence today. Most experts agree that uncharacteristically (20 letters) is the longest English word you’re most likely to use in everyday conversation.

If you’re truly on the quest for long words, try looking at an atlas! Here are a few places you might travel to where they have to use extra-long signposts to point the way:

New Zealand
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu
Lat: -40.3480 / Long: 176.5321

Wales
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Lat: 53.225614 / Long: -4.197992

United States
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg
Lat: 42.043811 / Long: -71.843918

Australia
Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya Hill
Lat: -26.917172 / Long: 132.67004

Latitude and longitude are provided for your use in a GPS or other mapping system, because it might take you longer to say the names of these places than to get there!