pedagogy

noun

ped·​a·​go·​gy ˈpe-də-ˌgō-jē How to pronounce pedagogy (audio)
 also  -ˌgä-,
especially British
-ˌgä-gē How to pronounce pedagogy (audio)
: the art, science, or profession of teaching
especially : education sense 2

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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 pedagogy in a Sentence

Some of the presentations, a few too many for comfort, lapsed into the familiar contortions of modern pedagogy. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 & 21 July 2003
The idea that pedagogy should be judged according to race is absurd on its face, but the fact that they saw their relationship with me and with the school itself in those terms should have given me greater pause than it did. Gerald Early, Lure and Loathing, 1993
Since no textbooks existed, the professor refused to profess, knowing no more than his students, and the students read what they pleased and compared their results. As pedagogy, nothing could be more triumphant. Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, 1907
Recent Examples on the Web Her decades of stage work had crystallized into a warm, knowing flex of showbiz pedagogy. Wesley Morris, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Sessions included topics on pedagogy, engineering education, and outreach best practices, as well as inspirational talks and resources to empower the STEM community. IEEE Spectrum, 20 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pedagogy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pedagogy.' 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

earlier, "instruction, training," borrowed from New Latin paedagōgia, borrowed from Greek paidagōgía "escorting of a child to school, attendance, guidance, schooling, education, training," from paidagōgós "attendant on a child, tutor" + -ia -y entry 2 — more at pedagogue

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pedagogy was circa 1623

Dictionary Entries Near pedagogy

Cite this Entry

“Pedagogy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedagogy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pedagogy

noun
ped·​a·​go·​gy ˈped-ə-ˌgōj-ē How to pronounce pedagogy (audio)
also
-ˌgäj-ˌē How to pronounce pedagogy (audio)
: the art, science, or profession of teaching : education
pedagogical
-i-kəl
adjective
pedagogically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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