Definition of DIDACTIC

Other Words from didactic

didactical \ dī-ˈdak-ti-kəl

\ adjective

didactically \ dī-ˈdak-ti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

didacticism \ dī-ˈdak-tə-ˌsi-zəm

\ noun

We Will Teach You the Origin of Didactic

Didaktikos is a Greek word that means "apt at teaching." It comes from didaskein, meaning "to teach." Something "didactic" does just that: teaches or instructs. "Didactic" conveyed that neutral meaning when it was first borrowed in the 17th century, and still does; a didactic piece of writing is one that is meant to be instructive as well as artistic. Parables are generally didactic because they aim to teach a moral lesson. "Didactic" now sometimes has negative connotations, too, however. Something "didactic" is often overburdened with instruction to the point of being dull. Or it might be pompously instructive or moralistic.

Examples of didactic in a Sentence

Slaves related human as well as animal trickster tales; they told Bible stories, explanatory tales, moralistic and didactic tales, supernatural tales and legends. — Lawrence W. Levine, The Unpredictable Past, 1993 For two decades, many Americans, including some early advocates of the Vietnam intervention, have been relentlessly didactic, extracting cautionary lessons from Vietnam. — George F. Will, Newsweek, 22 May 1989 —the trappings, one might say—of a didactic and resolutely pious Victorian sensibility in the service of an anarchic imagination. — Joyce Carol Oates, The Profane Art, 1983 the poet's works became increasingly didactic after his religious conversion

Recent Examples on the Web

In general, the message to young children was bland and didactic: All are welcome, everyone belongs. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: You’re Never Too Young to Take a Stand," 28 Dec. 2018 To be able to express that in a movie, in a non-didactic way, through action, through a narrative that’s constructed in a way that you just get swept up, is a beautiful thing. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "How Willem Dafoe learned to paint like Vincent Van Gogh," 14 Nov. 2018 When that becomes apparent, more than halfway through the performance, the play takes a turn for the didactic. — New York Times, "Review: A Bus Crash, a Breakup and More Reverberations in ‘Tremor’," 29 May 2018 This is the sort of heavy-handed, didactic commentary from the writers room that has really ruined this season for me https://t.co/FlW7MeKeZy — Judah Maccabeets (@AdamSerwer) November 6, 2018 Scene. — Constance Grady, Vox, "What it means that we keep talking about America like it’s a TV show," 27 Dec. 2018 There’s no need for charity either. Plotting and character are largely absent from this didactic work, though not humor. — Leslie Lenkowsky, WSJ, "Five Best: Leslie Lenkowsky on Novels About Philanthropy," 7 Dec. 2018 Sweet Country is a somber film, but not a didactic or overly worthy one. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, "Don’t Miss the Stunning Australian Western Sweet Country," 6 Apr. 2018 And so wars — or rather how not to lose them — are the general theme of his often didactic book. — Victor Davis Hanson, New York Times, "When to Wage War, and How to Win: A Guide," 20 Apr. 2018 Not that this necessarily plays as a strictly didactic work. — Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Rust’: Film Review | Sundance 2018," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'didactic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for didactic

borrowed from New Latin didacticus, borrowed from Greek didaktikós "apt at teaching," from didaktós "taught, learned" (verbal adjective of didáskein, aorist edídaxa "to teach, instruct," factitive derivative of daênai "to learn") + -ikos -ic entry 1; daênai going back to Indo-European *dens-, *dn̥s- "become knowledgeable or skillful," whence also Avestan dīdaiŋ́hē "(I) learn, experience" and, in nominal derivatives, Sanskrit dáṃsaḥ "marvelous power," dasráḥ "accomplishing wonderful deeds," and perhaps Greek dḗnea "plans, intentions"

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