adjective
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providing knowledge; instructive or informative
an educational toy
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of or relating to education
Other Word Forms
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antieducationaladjective
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antieducationallyadverb
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countereducationalnoun
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countereducationallyadverb
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educationallyadverb
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noneducationaladjective
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noneducationallyadverb
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posteducationaladjective
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preeducationaladjective
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preeducationallyadverb
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pseudoeducationaladjective
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pseudoeducationallyadverb
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quasi-educationaladjective
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quasi-educationallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of educational
Explanation
If something is educational, it teaches you some new information or gives you new knowledge. Listening to an organic farmer describe the process of beekeeping can be very educational. The adjective educational describes something that imparts new skills or knowledge. Reading a recipe is educational, if it teaches you how to make a perfect buttercream frosting for your cake, and a French class is also educational, as long as you learn something new from it. The word comes from the noun education, or "the process of teaching or learning," which actually meant "childrearing" in the 1500s, and was used interchangeably to mean "the training of animals."
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.
Only 18% of Los Angeles eighth-graders scored proficient in math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, compared to 27% nationwide.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Educational AI, he told journalist Taylor Lorenz, generated “false information” or “illogical questions, illogical texts.”
From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026
This event raises funds for the Newport Harbor Educational Foundation to help support academic programs and faculty at Newport Harbor High School.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Mathison said that many parents were concerned about their children "losing the protection of their statement of Special Educational Needs" after their school career ended.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
The letter Mary was hiding explained that the federal budget for Basic Educational Opportunity Grants—or Pell Grants—was being slashed, and her grant was being terminated.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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.
