pedagogical
adjective
-ˈgō-
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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
Dr. Ella F. Washington, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Classical Christian Education distinguishes itself by delivering a holistic approach to critical thinking and character development, demonstrating how ancient pedagogical wisdom can be recalibrated to meet the most pressing challenges of the 21st-century workforce.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Funding and fellowships will allow current and new faculty to explore questions and pedagogical and scholarship opportunities generated by AI, Bowdoin said.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Mar. 2025
The funds from Hastings will support Bowdoin’s current and new faculty who want to explore the pedagogical and scholarship questions that are being generated by the AI revolution.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pedagogical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedagogical. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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