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.
In its earliest days, TBS aired old movies and comedy reruns, and was also the home of “Captain Planet and the Planeteers,” Turner’s effort to blend his passion for ecological conservation with educational programming.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
If genetics strongly influence life outcomes, how much can educational programs and social interventions really change a person's long term trajectory?
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
There is also a rooftop garden with views of the Hollywood sign, a reflective garden, classroom spaces for educational programs, an open-air performance plaza and a pavilion housing a Holocaust-era boxcar.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
"I hope this trip will contribute to even deeper friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini, thanks to closer economic, agricultural, cultural and educational links, as well as promote Taiwan's international co-operation," he said.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
When Barack had foreign trips that coincided with school vacations, we traveled as a family, knowing it would be educational.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
