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 First, children were interested in birds, and their discussion eventually focused on birds' eyes, says Will Parnell, EdD, a Portland State University professor and the center's pedagogical liaison. Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Parents, 14 Nov. 2023 However artful, the motive behind these biologically accurate images was not aesthetic but pedagogical, said Dr. Suzuki, the geneticist, science broadcaster, prolific author and perhaps Canada’s most prominent environmentalist. Norimitsu Onishi, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023 Miss MacIntosh’s pedagogical principles are unusual. Ryan Ruby, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2023 The show needs these actual housewives to establish brand continuity but also to fulfill its pedagogical role in women’s media. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2023 Anscombe would probably be proud that his quartet lives on as a common pedagogical demonstration in modern statistics classes. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2023 My tutor’s fundamental pedagogical principle was that to teach a text meant being, at least for the duration of the tutorial, its most passionate champion. Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023 Arguably the most original political film since Battleship Potemkin, if not The Birth of a Nation, La Commune is doubly pedagogical—made to educate its participants as well as its audience. J. Hoberman, The New Republic, 22 June 2023 At the same time, the pedagogical buzzword of engagement (with respect to learning) continues to gather weight. Rod Berger, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pedagogical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near pedagogical

Cite this Entry

“Pedagogical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedagogical. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

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!