pedantry

noun

ped·​ant·​ry ˈpe-dᵊn-trē How to pronounce pedantry (audio)
plural pedantries
1
: pedantic presentation or application of knowledge or learning
2
: an instance of pedantry

Examples of pedantry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are some downsides besides pedantry about historical accuracy, too. Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025 Save this pedantry for LeBrun’s mailbag. Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025 Her disbelief at bureacratic pedantry reaches a fever pitch as her desperation increases, resulting in a scene reminiscent of Judy Hopps and Flash the Sloth at the DMV in Zootopia. Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024 The inflated pedantry of his style, all those technical-sounding terms and incantatory clauses in the service of a simple idea, seems practically comic, but Kushner presents it earnestly, without a hint of irony. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 There are some downsides besides pedantry about historical accuracy, too. Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025 Her disbelief at bureacratic pedantry reaches a fever pitch as her desperation increases, resulting in a scene reminiscent of Judy Hopps and Flash the Sloth at the DMV in Zootopia. Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024 Even within watch-collecting circles, the fandom expressed by devotees of Omega’s Speedmaster chronograph sets a high bar for both passion and pedantry. Chris Hall, WIRED, 10 Dec. 2024 Her disbelief at bureacratic pedantry reaches a fever pitch as her desperation increases, resulting in a scene reminiscent of Judy Hopps and Flash the Sloth at the DMV in Zootopia. Longreads, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pedantry was in 1612

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pedantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedantry. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

pedantry

noun
ped·​ant·​ry ˈped-ᵊn-trē How to pronounce pedantry (audio)
plural pedantries
: dull and overly exact presentation of knowledge or learning

More from Merriam-Webster on pedantry

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