didactic

adjective

di·dac·tic dī-ˈdak-tik How to pronounce didactic (audio)

də-

: designed or intended to teach

The first part of the book is more didactic, with lengthy descriptions of how the operating system actually works.

Richard C. Leinecker

: intended to convey instruction and information in addition to serving another purpose (such as pleasure and entertainment)

didactic poetry/fiction

Taking an enlightening new approach to Johnson's Dictionary, DeMaria examines the 16,000 illustrative citations and finds that they not only serve linguistic ends but have educational and didactic purposes.

Robert B. Heilman

usually disapproving : making moral observations : intended to teach proper or moral behavior

Never didactic, Martin gently nudges readers toward open-mindedness at the prospect of eating bugs: "Why not make the best of what we have the most of?"

Kirkus Reviews

Poe was in general not a didactic writer; in fact, he criticized stories and poems that sought to inculcate virtue and convey the truth.

Paul Lewis

didactical

dī-ˈdak-ti-kəl How to pronounce didactic (audio)

adjective

didactically

dī-ˈdak-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce didactic (audio)

adverb

didacticism

dī-ˈdak-tə-ˌsi-zəm How to pronounce didactic (audio)

noun

Did you know?

We Will Teach You the Origin of Didactic

Didaktikós is a Greek word that means "apt at teaching." It comes from didáskein, meaning "to teach." Something didactic does just that: it teaches or instructs. Didactic conveyed that neutral meaning when it was first borrowed in the 17th century, and still does; a didactic piece of writing is one that is meant to be instructive as well as artistic. Parables are generally didactic because they aim to teach a moral lesson. Didactic now sometimes has negative connotations, too, however. Something described as "didactic" is often overburdened with instruction to the point of being dull. Or it might be pompously instructive or moralistic.

Example Sentences

Slaves related human as well as animal trickster tales; they told Bible stories, explanatory tales, moralistic and didactic tales, supernatural tales and legends.

Lawrence W. Levine, The Unpredictable Past, 1993 For two decades, many Americans, including some early advocates of the Vietnam intervention, have been relentlessly didactic, extracting cautionary lessons from Vietnam.

George F. Will, Newsweek, 22 May 1989 —the trappings, one might say—of a didactic and resolutely pious Victorian sensibility in the service of an anarchic imagination.

Joyce Carol Oates, The Profane Art, 1983 the poet's works became increasingly didactic after his religious conversion

Recent Examples on the Web Peele has rightly been noticed for his profusion of movie references, his almost scholarly, but in no way didactic or merely referential, skill at reminding us of the bedrocks of the genre.

K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2022 Like most binaries, though, the lines between didactic stories and just-are stories—and between Oliver Button stories and Ferdinand stories—can blur and break down.

Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 11 July 2022 Their images are powerful, vibrant and imbued with issues of social justice without ever being didactic.

Vogue, 2 Aug. 2022 The pair have rarely sounded so bored or so didactic, rapping about cryptocurrencies, Silicon Valley, and angel investments with the smugness of a late-night infomercial pushing a pyramid scheme.

Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 4 May 2021 The film is organic, all of a piece and, for Garland, somewhat on the nose and didactic.

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2022 Ben and Violet did a fantastic job because the film is not didactic.

Jennie Punter, Variety, 4 May 2022 In fact, these discussions often feel explicitly targeted at the audience, more didactic and less intimate than the check-ins Guralnik has with Goldner in earlier episodes.

Lidija Haas, The New Republic, 10 June 2022 Perhaps the most didactic and poignant vignette was conceived by Dash (Daughters of Dust), who made history as the first African American woman to direct a feature film shown in wide release.

Anne Quito, Quartz, 10 May 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin didacticus, borrowed from Greek didaktikós "apt at teaching," from didaktós "taught, learned" (verbal adjective of didáskein, aorist edídaxa "to teach, instruct," factitive derivative of daênai "to learn") + -ikos -ic entry 1; daênai going back to Indo-European *dens-, *dn̥s- "become knowledgeable or skillful," whence also Avestan dīdaiŋ́hē "(I) learn, experience" and, in nominal derivatives, Sanskrit dáṃsaḥ "marvelous power," dasráḥ "accomplishing wonderful deeds," and perhaps Greek dḗnea "plans, intentions"

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

单词	didactical
释义	didactic adjective di·dac·tic dī-ˈdak-tik də- 1 a : designed or intended to teach The first part of the book is more didactic, with lengthy descriptions of how the operating system actually works. Richard C. Leinecker b : intended to convey instruction and information in addition to serving another purpose (such as pleasure and entertainment) didactic poetry/fiction Taking an enlightening new approach to Johnson's Dictionary, DeMaria examines the 16,000 illustrative citations and finds that they not only serve linguistic ends but have educational and didactic purposes. Robert B. Heilman 2 usually disapproving : making moral observations : intended to teach proper or moral behavior Never didactic, Martin gently nudges readers toward open-mindedness at the prospect of eating bugs: "Why not make the best of what we have the most of?" Kirkus Reviews Poe was in general not a didactic writer; in fact, he criticized stories and poems that sought to inculcate virtue and convey the truth. Paul Lewis didactical dī-ˈdak-ti-kəl adjective didactically dī-ˈdak-ti-k(ə-)lē adverb didacticism dī-ˈdak-tə-ˌsi-zəm noun Did you know? We Will Teach You the Origin of Didactic Didaktikós is a Greek word that means "apt at teaching." It comes from didáskein, meaning "to teach." Something didactic does just that: it teaches or instructs. Didactic conveyed that neutral meaning when it was first borrowed in the 17th century, and still does; a didactic piece of writing is one that is meant to be instructive as well as artistic. Parables are generally didactic because they aim to teach a moral lesson. Didactic now sometimes has negative connotations, too, however. Something described as "didactic" is often overburdened with instruction to the point of being dull. Or it might be pompously instructive or moralistic. Synonyms homiletic homiletical moralistic moralizing preachy sententious sermonic See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Slaves related human as well as animal trickster tales; they told Bible stories, explanatory tales, moralistic and didactic tales, supernatural tales and legends. Lawrence W. Levine, The Unpredictable Past, 1993 For two decades, many Americans, including some early advocates of the Vietnam intervention, have been relentlessly didactic, extracting cautionary lessons from Vietnam. George F. Will, Newsweek, 22 May 1989 —the trappings, one might say—of a didactic and resolutely pious Victorian sensibility in the service of an anarchic imagination. Joyce Carol Oates, The Profane Art, 1983 the poet's works became increasingly didactic after his religious conversion Recent Examples on the Web Peele has rightly been noticed for his profusion of movie references, his almost scholarly, but in no way didactic or merely referential, skill at reminding us of the bedrocks of the genre. K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2022 Like most binaries, though, the lines between didactic stories and just-are stories—and between Oliver Button stories and Ferdinand stories—can blur and break down. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 11 July 2022 Their images are powerful, vibrant and imbued with issues of social justice without ever being didactic. Vogue, 2 Aug. 2022 The pair have rarely sounded so bored or so didactic, rapping about cryptocurrencies, Silicon Valley, and angel investments with the smugness of a late-night infomercial pushing a pyramid scheme. Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 4 May 2021 The film is organic, all of a piece and, for Garland, somewhat on the nose and didactic. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2022 Ben and Violet did a fantastic job because the film is not didactic. Jennie Punter, Variety, 4 May 2022 In fact, these discussions often feel explicitly targeted at the audience, more didactic and less intimate than the check-ins Guralnik has with Goldner in earlier episodes. Lidija Haas, The New Republic, 10 June 2022 Perhaps the most didactic and poignant vignette was conceived by Dash (Daughters of Dust), who made history as the first African American woman to direct a feature film shown in wide release. Anne Quito, Quartz, 10 May 2022 See More Word History Etymology borrowed from New Latin didacticus, borrowed from Greek didaktikós "apt at teaching," from didaktós "taught, learned" (verbal adjective of didáskein, aorist edídaxa "to teach, instruct," factitive derivative of daênai "to learn") + -ikos -ic entry 1; daênai going back to Indo-European dens-, dn̥s- "become knowledgeable or skillful," whence also Avestan dīdaiŋ́hē "(I) learn, experience" and, in nominal derivatives, Sanskrit dáṃsaḥ "marvelous power," dasráḥ "accomplishing wonderful deeds," and perhaps Greek dḗnea "plans, intentions" First Known Use 1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Medical Definition didactic adjective di·dac·tic dī-ˈdak-tik, də- : involving lecture and textbook instruction rather than demonstration and laboratory study didactical adjective as in didactic Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance didactic academic academical professorial bookish pedantic polished intellectual skilled inkhorn informed cerebral instructed trained highbrow schooled refined cultivated civilized enlightened cultured highbrowed well-bred informed scholarly homeschooled learned educated literate self-taught erudite briefed self-educated knowledgeable self-instructed versed lettered polymath polymathic overeducated well-read polyhistoric Antonyms & Near Antonyms ignorant unscholarly dark uneducated unlearned illiterate unintellectual uncultivated benighted uncivilized unlettered uncultured unpolished lowbrow unrefined semiliterate untaught uninformed untutored uninstructed unschooled unknowledgeable semiliterate ill-bred undereducated See More
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didactic

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective