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

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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 Programs are required to have one pedagogical leader for every seven children under the age of 3, and one for every 14 children older than that. Jackie Mader, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024 Her way with language, subject, and style taps into childhood and childlike play, echoing pedagogical strategies tied to literacy like phonics and onomatopoeia. Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2024 Editors’ Picks These career support services range widely, from sales-focused to philosophical to pedagogical. Travis Diehl, New York Times, 28 May 2024 These pedagogical innovators excel at engaging diverse learners, adapting their approaches to meet the varying needs of students in their classrooms. Nicholas Ladany, Forbes, 24 Sep. 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

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pedagogical was in 1595

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Dictionary Entries Near pedagogical

Cite this Entry

“Pedagogical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedagogical. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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