Definition of PEDAGOGICAL (original) (raw)
: of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education
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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.
What are the cultural, economic, and political currents that led us here? Series Reading lists, discussion guides, syllabi, pedagogical essays, and other free teaching resources for higher ed and secondary school faculty. —
JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025 Central to this mission are human educators, who play a vital role in maintaining pedagogical accuracy and fostering meaningful connections with students. —Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024 The technology can serve as an interesting pedagogical tool. —Nir Eisikovits, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024 The greatest point of pedagogical interest here is how, in addition to research, history, style emulation, and memory and observation exercises, this course aims to culminate in a field trip to Ireland. —Tyler Thier, JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2024 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
Dictionary Entries Near pedagogical
Cite this Entry
“Pedagogical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedagogical. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 2 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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