adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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pə-dăn'tĭk
/pəˈdæn.tɪk/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æntɪk
CMU ARPABET:P AH0 D AE1 N T IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Being overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning, like a pedant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Tending to show off one’s knowledge, often in a tiresome manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: academic, donnish
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English pedant Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English pedantic From pedant + -ic.
Across languages
Translations
45 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
педантичен
(pedantičen)
— like a pedant
Catalan:
pedant
— like a pedant
Chinese Mandarin:
教條 /教条
(jiàotiáo)
— like a pedant
Chinese Mandarin:
咬文嚼字的
(yǎowénjiáozì de)
— like a pedant
Czech:
pedantský
— like a pedant
Czech:
pedantický
— like a pedant
Czech:
puntíčkářský
— like a pedant
Danish:
pedantisk
— like a pedant
Esperanto:
pedanta
— like a pedant
Esperanto:
pedimenta
— like a pedant
Estonian:
pedantne
— like a pedant
Finnish:
pedanttinen
— like a pedant
Finnish:
pikkumainen
— like a pedant
Finnish:
pikkutarkka
— like a pedant
French:
méticuleux
— like a pedant
French:
pédant
— like a pedant
German:
pedantisch
— like a pedant
Greek:
σχολαστικός
(scholastikós)
— like a pedant
Hungarian:
pedáns
— like a pedant
Italian:
pedante
— like a pedant
Japanese:
杓子定規
(shakushi jyogi)
— like a pedant
Polish:
pedantyczny
— like a pedant
Portuguese:
pedante
— like a pedant
Romanian:
meticulos
— like a pedant
Romanian:
pedant
— like a pedant
Russian:
педанти́чный
(pedantíčnyj)
— like a pedant
Spanish:
pedante
— like a pedant
Spanish:
pretencioso
— like a pedant
Spanish:
pedantesco
— like a pedant
Swedish:
pedantisk
— like a pedant
Swedish:
petnoga
— like a pedant
Catalan:
pedant
— being showy of one's knowledge
Chinese Mandarin:
掉書袋 /掉书袋
(diàoshūdài)
— being showy of one's knowledge
Chinese Mandarin:
舞文弄墨
(wǔwénnòngmò)
— being showy of one's knowledge
Czech:
mentorský
— being showy of one's knowledge
Finnish:
pedanttinen
— being showy of one's knowledge
Finnish:
rikkiviisas
— being showy of one's knowledge
French:
pédant
— being showy of one's knowledge
Greek:
δοκησίσοφος
(dokisísofos)
— being showy of one's knowledge
Italian:
pretenzioso
— being showy of one's knowledge
Japanese:
学者ぶった
(gakusha butta)
— being showy of one's knowledge
Polish:
pretensjonalny
— being showy of one's knowledge
Portuguese:
pedante
— being showy of one's knowledge
Spanish:
pedante
— being showy of one's knowledge
Spanish:
pedantesco
— being showy of one's knowledge
