teachable moment

[ tee-chuh-buhl moh-muhnt ]

/ ˈti tʃə bəl ˈmoʊ mənt /

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noun

a specific occurrence, situation, or experience that can be used to teach people about something more general: Her death created a teachable moment about prescription drug abuse.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of teachable moment

First recorded in 1935–40

Words nearby teachable moment

tea caddy, teacake, teacart, teach, teachable, teachable moment, teach a lesson, teach an old dog new tricks, teacher, teacherage, teacher bird

How to use teachable moment in a sentence

If you’re single, you could take unwanted questioning as a teachable moment.
Single On Valentine’s Day And Happily So|LGBTQ-Editor|February 13, 2021|No Straight News
Parks’ and voting rights organizers’ persistence offers a teachable moment for young activists.
Before She Refused to Give Up Her Seat, Rosa Parks Had a Long History as a Voting Rights Activist|Olivia B. Waxman|February 1, 2021|Time
This stew isn’t just memorable, it offers a teachable moment.
This herb-packed Persian fish stew is good to the last tangy, spicy spoonful|Charlotte Druckman|January 27, 2021|Washington Post
Historians say Tenayuca’s resilience and the impact she had at such a young age, provide a teachable moment for young people looking to find a way to make a difference in their communities.
These Latinas Were Pioneers for Workers' Rights in the U.S. Here Are 2 You Should Have Learned About in School|Video by Arpita Aneja|December 1, 2020|Time

Bill Spriggs hopes this is a teachable moment for economics.
What is statistical discrimination?|Dan Kopf|July 10, 2020|Quartz
And so now we need to remember a very wise maxim: A teachable moment only has value if you are willing to be taught.
Flight 370 Didn’t Disappear: We Missed It|Clive Irving|March 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The students, a handful of them Democratic activists, nod appreciatively at what the president might call a “teachable moment.”
The Democrats’ Last Woman Standing: New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan|Allison Yarrow|November 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It takes far less than 46 days for a teachable moment to devolve into an airing of fetid undercurrents from the American id.
What Got George Zimmerman Charged With Second-Degree Murder|Jelani Cobb|April 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“This is a teachable moment for the White House,” Garrett said.
Why Eric Cantor Bailed|Patricia Murphy|June 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
When Obama heralds another “teachable moment,” it means he has already made an egregious rookie mistake.
The Obama Gang Can't Shoot Straight|Tina Brown|July 26, 2010|DAILY BEAST