pedagogical

adjective

ped·​a·​gog·​i·​cal ˌpe-də-ˈgä-ji-kəl How to pronounce pedagogical (audio) -ˈgō- How to pronounce pedagogical (audio)
variants or less commonly pedagogic
: of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education
pedagogical methods
pedagogical concerns
pedagogically adverb

Did you know?

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

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.
Unable to keep pace, academic administrations largely stopped trying to control students’ use of artificial intelligence and adopted an attitude of hopeful resignation, encouraging teachers to explore the practical, pedagogical applications of A.I. Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 30 June 2025 Invest in educator training that moves beyond basic tool familiarity to pedagogical integration and ethical considerations. Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 To implement this, institutions could establish dedicated centers focused on faculty development and pedagogical innovation. Nicholas Ladany, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 His pedagogical contributions were formally recognized in 2017 when the Missouri Bar extolled his substantial influence on professional legal education. Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 10 June 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

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pedagogical was in 1595

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Pedagogical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedagogical. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pedagogical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!