pedantry

noun ped·ant·ry \ ˈpe-dᵊn-trē \

Definition of pedantry

plural pedantries

1 : pedantic presentation or application of knowledge or learning

2 : an instance of pedantry

Recent Examples of pedantry from the Web

Despite his winking cuisine and insistence on pleasing every guest, Keller has sometimes—as have other chefs of his caliber—been accused of pedantry.

— gabe ulla, Town & Country, "Can Thomas Keller Turn Around Per Se?," 8 Sep. 2016
And occasionally, Mr. Weldon becomes Comic Book Guy in spite of himself, writing with the same pedantry and fastidiousness.

— jennifer senior, New York Times, "Review: ‘The Caped Crusade’ and Batman’s Reach Beyond — Gasp! — Comic Book Lore," 23 Mar. 2016
There is not an ounce of pedantry in his 85-minute monologue, an indescribably ridiculous collection of anecdotes and asides that miraculously blend into a whole.

— neil genzlinger, New York Times, "Review: In ‘Thank God for Jokes,’ Mike Birbiglia Tells His Side of the Story," 11 Feb. 2016
His gift was to teach without pedantry; to ask that one crucial question that illuminated the way out of the most difficult problem.

— hilton lewis, Scientific American Blog Network, "In Memoriam: Jerry Nelson, Legendary Telescope Designer," 16 June 2017
What ensued in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and in a 29-page court decision handed down on Monday, was an exercise in high-stakes grammar pedantry that could cost a dairy company in Portland, Me.

— daniel victor, New York Times, "Lack of Oxford Comma Could Cost Maine Company Millions in Overtime Dispute," 16 Mar. 2017

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

First Known Use of pedantry

1612

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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