pedagogical

adjective

ped·a·gog·i·cal ˌpe-də-ˈgä-ji-kəl

-ˈgō-

variants or less commonly pedagogic

ˌpe-də-ˈgä-jik

-ˈgō-

Synonyms of pedagogical next

: of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education

pedagogical methods

pedagogical concerns

pedagogically

ˌpe-də-ˈgä-ji-k(ə-)lē

-ˈgō-

adverb

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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

Recent Examples on the Web Many experts believe social media is causing depression and other mental health problems in children, but some say there should be middle ground where phones are allowed in the classroom for pedagogical purposes. —

Alex Golden, Axios, 2 Aug. 2024 Beyond pedagogical preferences, many émigrés say that China’s repression of dissent abroad is why a Liang or a Cai E has yet to surface. —

Chang Che, The New Yorker, 30 July 2024 This instructional resource pulls together poetry, image analysis, historical context, and pedagogical instruction to explore Dorothea Lange’s famous photograph Migrant Mother. —

Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 28 June 2024 Unschooling encompasses a wide range of pedagogical philosophies. —

Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for pedagogical

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