pedagogical
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pedagogical
First recorded in 1595–1605, pedagogical is from the Greek word paidagōgikós of a child's tutor. See pedagogue, -ical
Explanation
Anything that relates to teaching is pedagogical. If your teacher has pedagogical dreams all night long, even in sleep, his mind is in the classroom. The adjective pedagogical, pronounced "peh-duh-GAH-gi-cal," comes from the Greek word paidagōgikos meaning “teacher.” If it's pedagogical, it concerns teaching, from lesson plans to approaches to teaching, even how the classroom looks. In rooms where the teacher's pedagogical philosophy is that students learn better when they work collaboratively, desks may be pushed together so four students can sit in their groups.
Vocabulary lists containing pedagogical
The Catcher in the Rye
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 5
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Big Science
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Pierre Bourdieu warned, some of the most powerful forms of domination are symbolic and pedagogical.
From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025
Many pedagogical and scientific sources suggest that the highest pitches reached in classical singing can only be produced with a so-called "whistle" voice register, in analogy to ultrasonic vocalizations of mice and rats.
From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2024
“It’s really amazing to see my art and pedagogical practice come together outside of myself — in the form of a curved metal building plopped in the Mojave Desert,” Schwegler said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2024
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.
From New York Times • Oct. 20, 2023
Chapter Summary: Children’s creativity is at the heart of this book, and is one of the most important factors to consider when creating pedagogical material.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
