pedantry

pedantry

English

Etymology

pedant + -ry. From Middle French pedant, pedante, from Italian pedante (“a teacher, schoolmaster, pedant”), of uncertain origin, traced by some sources to Latin paedagogans, present participle of paedagogare ( = to teach, from Greek "paedagogein" = to instruct children ). Confer French pédanterie.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/

• Audio (SA)

  (file)

Noun

pedantry (countable and uncountable, plural pedantries)

1. An excessive attention to detail or rules.
2. An instance of such behaviour.

   I don't want to listen to your pedantries anymore.

3. An overly ambitious display of learning.

Related terms

• pedant
• pedantic
• pedantocracy

Translations

excessive attention to detail or rules

Dutch: betweterigheid f, frikkerigheid Finnish: pikkutarkkuus, pedanttisuus (fi), saivartelu (fi) French: pédantisme (fr) m Greek: σχολαστικότητα (el) f (scholastikótita)

Icelandic: smámunasemi f, smásmygli f Portuguese: pedantismo (pt) m Swedish: pedanteri (sv) n

instance of being pedantic

Finnish: viisastelu (fi), saivartelu (fi) Icelandic: smámunasemi f, smásmygli f

Portuguese: pedantice f Spanish: pedantería (es) f

overly ambitious display of learning

Dutch: pedanterie Finnish: viisastelu (fi), rikkiviisaus French: pédanterie (fr) f German: Pedanterie (de) f Greek: δοκησισοφία (el) f (dokisisofía)

Hebrew: דקדוקי עניות‎ (he) (dikdûkei aniyût) Korean: 현학 (hyeonhak) Portuguese: pedantismo (pt) m Spanish: pedantería (es) f

Further reading

• pedantry in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• pedantry in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• pedantry at OneLook Dictionary Search