pedagogical

adjective

ped·a·gog·i·cal ˌpe-də-ˈgä-ji-kəl -ˈgō-

variants or less commonly pedagogic

ˌpe-də-ˈgä-jik

-ˈgō-

Synonyms of pedagogical

: of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education

pedagogical methods

pedagogical concerns

pedagogically

ˌpe-də-ˈgä-ji-k(ə-)lē

-ˈgō-

adverb

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Pedagogical, Pedagogy, and Pedagogue

Pedagogical and its cognates present us with an excellent example of how different words can come from the same root, retain closely related meanings, and yet take on distinctive connotations. Pedagogical, pedagogy, and pedagogue all come from the Greek paidagōgos, originally the word for an enslaved person who brought children to school. But while pedagogical and pedagogy have meanings simply related to education, teaching, or teachers (with no implied judgment), pedagogue has taken on a negative tone, often referring to a dull or overly formal teacher. A similar transformation has taken place with many of the pedant- words in English. Pedant originally denoted simply "a tutor," but now tends to mean "one who makes a show of knowledge." Pedantic formerly meant "relating to teaching," but now is more commonly used to mean "unimaginative or dull."

Examples of pedagogical in a Sentence

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Most people do this at home, but Barnes’s stridently symmetrical arrangements—big artworks in the middle, smaller ones to either side, formal echoes bouncing around the room—were emphatically pedagogical. —Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025 Barnes first tested Dewey’s pedagogical ideas on his factory workers, engaging them in weekly seminars to look at art and discuss philosophical texts. —Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025 Construed as a pedagogical exercise more than entertainment, the film oﬀers a deep reading into the complicated plurality of the populace that constitutes nations such as Germany. —Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2025 In that same pedagogical spirit, your moment to shine on Super Bowl Sunday can be explaining who Charli XCX is to the straightest brother-in-law in your vicinity. —Samantha Allen, Them, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pedagogical

Word History

Etymology

pedagogical from pedagogic + -al entry 1; pedagogic borrowed from French & New Latin; French pédagogique, borrowed from New Latin paedagōgicus, borrowed from Greek paidagōgikós "suitable for a teacher or trainer," from paidagōgós "attendant on a child, tutor" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at pedagogue